Unapproved Vitamin Supplement Linked to Deaths of 21 Polo Horses

A dietary supplement that is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is being blamed for the sudden deaths of 21 prized polo horses set to compete in the sport’s biggest championships in Florida.

The drug, Biodyl, contains a form of selenium called sodium selenite, vitamin B12, and other minerals. It is made in France by a Georgia firm, Merial Ltd., and is frequently given to horses to help them bounce back from exhaustion. The FDA has refused to approve Biodyl for use in the United States, but the drug is widely used in other parts of the world and the horses that died after being given the supplement were from Venezuela.

Nearly two dozen polo horses collapsed and later died earlier this week as they were being unloaded from trailers in preparation for the U.S. Open competition at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Initial reports were that the Florida heat and humidity may have contributed to the deaths, but the focus of the investigation has now shifted to the reported use of Biodyl in the deceased horses.

Pharmacy May Have Made Illegal Copycat Version

One question investigators want answered is whether the horses were given brand name Biodyl or an unauthorized copy of the drug made by a compounding pharmacy in the U.S. Compounding pharmacies are legal but they are not allowed to make compounds of unapproved drugs or of approved drugs that are patent protected, officials said.

Officials with the Lechuza polo team that owned the horses said they suspect there was a problem at the plant where the supplement was made.

A spokesman for the drug maker, Merial, said the company is confident its product is safe, but said an illegal compound copycat Biodyl has been made in the past.

Actual Biodyl has only been linked to adverse reactions in about one in more than two million doses of the drug, the company said. In some cases, high doses of selenium can be fatal, officials said.

If investigators find that a U.S. compounding pharmacy made the unauthorized version of Biodyl that killed the horses, the pharmacy could face criminal charges, officials said.

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