Sheep jab has promise

A Hamilton animal remedies company that has introduced delayed-release vitamin B12 supplements for livestock says the technology could be refined for humans.

Coatings similar to those that enable one vitamin shot to last at least eight months in sheep - when conventional B12 injections need to be repeated every three to four weeks - could be adapted to treatments for chronic conditions in humans, said Kevin Burke, the managing director of Stockguard Animal Health.

The company was trying to extend the release time to 10 months or more. Such long-term medication could be used for people with chronic pain or a regime of drugs.

The use of the technology to provide vitamin B12 to sheep was a "global first," Mr Burke said.

It was the first veterinary product incorporating "micro-encapsulation" technology for sustained release of the vitamin in animals.

Mr Burke said results suggested the delayed release of B12 improved appetite, growth rates, fertility and reproductive performance, milk and fibre production and resistance to parasites and disease.

The injections are the result of research by Stockguard and crown science company AgResearch, partly financed by Technology NZ.