Bayer HealthCare Introduces Seresto™, Offering Easy-To-Use Flea and Tick Control for Dogs or Cats that Lasts Eight Months

SHAWNEE, Kan., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer HealthCare LLC Animal Health Division has now provided dog and cat owners the same performance they expect from a monthly flea and tick topical in an easy-to-use, convenient collar that protects for eight months. Seresto™, manufactured by Bayer, is an effective flea and tick preventive providing pet owners with a long-lasting treatment alternative that reduces the hassle of remembering to apply monthly treatments.

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Seresto features a sustained release technology that gives cats or dogs eight months of uninterrupted protection against fleas and ticks, making it different from other collars and monthly topicals. Flumethrin and imidacloprid, the collar's active ingredients, are continuously replenished over the animal's skin and hair in low concentrations for eight months. As a result, Seresto kills fleas within 24 hours and ticks within 48 hours after initial application. Reinfesting fleas are killed within two hours and reinfesting ticks are killed in as quickly as six hours.

"No other flea or tick preventive provides eight months of effective flea and tick protection with only one application for both dogs or cats," said Ian Spinks, President and General Manager, Bayer HealthCare LLC Animal Health Division, North America. "Bayer HealthCare Animal Health wants to be the go-to company for parasiticide solutions. With Seresto, we give pet owners a new alternative to spot-on topical flea and tick, and oral flea prevention."

The Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends year-round protection against fleas and ticks. But the truth is, many pet owners live busy lives and tend to forget monthly treatments or only apply treatments during months when fleas and ticks are most prevalent. This can put their pets at a greater risk for an infestation by fleas or ticks. Infected ticks can transmit organisms that can cause diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and flea infestations can cause serious discomfort for pets. Seresto kills fleas and repels and kills ticks. If a tick is repelled or killed it cannot attach to a dog or cat and transmit organisms that may cause disease.

The design of Seresto includes a ratchet-release system and, on the small dog and cat collars, a pre-determined breaking point. This is important, so that in the unlikely event of a cat or a dog being trapped, the pet's own strength is sufficient to allow for a quick release.

Seresto is available in veterinary clinics, pet specialty stores and participating online pet retailers. All of Bayer's products are competitively priced. Product pricing varies across the U.S. Pet owners should visit their local veterinary clinic or pet specialty store to determine pricing in their immediate area. Each collar comes with three optional reflectors for added visibility at night. Seresto is available for cats, for small dogs up to 18 pounds, and for large dogs above 18 pounds.

About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 39.8 billion (2012), is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,300 employees (Dec. 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.

Find more information at www.animalhealth.bayerhealthcare.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare LLC