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The product: Experior is a veterinary drug used to reduce ammonia emissions from beef cattle and their waste. Elanco makes Experior at its large factory in Clinton, about 20 miles north of Terre Haute.
History: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Experior in 2018 for feedlot cattle, making it the first approved product labeled to reduce ammonia gas emissions from an animal or its waste.
Why it matters: The FDA says ammonia gas emissions have been implicated in atmospheric haze and noxious odors. High concentrations of ammonia can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat in both humans and animals.
How it is administered: The label calls for farmers to feed several grams of Experior per ton of dry feed “continuously to beef steers and heifers fed in confinement for slaughter as the sole ration during the last 14 to 91 days on feed.”
How it works: Experior, also known by its generic name, lubabegron, is thought to act by increasing nitrogen uptake and the amount of nitrogen retained in the carcass as muscle protein, thereby reducing the amount of urea excreted in manure. (Manure is considered the urine and feces combined). The reduction in excreted urea from the animal results in a reduction in ammonia gas emissions to the environment.
More science: Elanco says clinical studies suggest that cattle fed Experior at 5 grams per ton of feed for 91 days emit approximately 16% less ammonia per pound of hot carcass weight than do animals not fed Experior.
Sales: Elanco hasn’t disclosed that information, but a company spokeswoman said Experior “has a path to reach blockbuster status this year,” meaning annual sales of $100 million or more.
Also made at the site: The Clinton site makes several other products, including Rumensin (a feed ingredient that increases milk production in dairy cows), Interceptor Plus (a chewable tablet for dogs to prevent and treat worms and heartworm) and Credelio (for flea and tick control for dogs).
—Compiled by John Russell
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