Pa. Federal Judge Refuses to Dismiss Action Targeting Zoetis’ Equine Antibiotic

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A Pennsylvania federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Zoetis Inc. of failing to warn that its equine antibiotic Excede can cause severe reactions in horses, which caused the death of a racehorse.

In a June 6 order, Judge Robert J. Colville of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania found the plaintiffs adequately alleged that Excede contains unrefined cottonseed oil, which can be fatally toxic to horses.

Plaintiffs owned a 3-year-old racehorse, Saratoga Gia (SG), who was stabled at the Meadows Racetrack in Washington, Pa. On April 7, 2020, a …