![]() ![]() “I compared the cost of one IRAP treatment to the total cost of the quarterly steroid injections Archie had been undergoing and the cost/benefit equation began to even out noticeably,” Hillman said. While the cost for an IRAP treatment is higher than the cost of a steroid injection, the effects of the IRAP treatment can last a full year. Not only does IRAP therapy help prevent further degeneration of the joint, it also offers a longer-lasting benefit. Therefore, this treatment helps to eliminate further damage to the joint,” he said. “An IRAP treatment appears to be very specific in blocking the inflammation caused by interleukin activity. “For instance, while steroid injections do reduce inflammation, they block a wide range of inflammatory mediators - not just the ones needed to be targeted,” White explained. While this therapy has merit - both from a medical and financial perspective - IRAP can offer certain benefits that steroid injections cannot. Previously, Archie - along with many other equine patients diagnosed with lameness - had undergone treatments that involved injections of corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid (a combination of a steroid and an anti-inflammatory lubricant). Because the serum is autologous, which means it is derived from the horse’s own blood, it carries minimal risk of an adverse reaction. The serum is administered into the horse’s affected joint once a week for three to five treatments. ![]() Lameness results when cartilage is destroyed. The result is an enriched serum which contains anti-inflammatory proteins that block the harmful effects of interleukin-1, an inflammatory mediator that accelerates the destruction of cartilage. “The blood mixes with the beads during a 24-hour incubation period, then it’s spun in a centrifuge to separate serum from red blood cells,” he added. Nat White, Diplomate ACVS, Jean Ellen Shehan Professor, and equine medical center director. ![]() “The first step of IRAP therapy consists of using a special syringe containing glass beads to draw 50 milliliters of blood from the affected horse,” explained Dr. The treatment, Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein therapy (IRAP™) has only been available for a few years, but faculty veterinarians at the equine medical center are experts in its use. Hillman brought Archie to Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center to undergo an innovative treatment - and the results were remarkable, according to Hillman. “While I can show you the ‘after’ photo of my horse, Captain Archer,” said Mike Hillman, “I wish you could see the ‘before’ photo.”Ĭaptain Archer, otherwise known as “Archie,” is a thoroughbred afflicted with lameness, a common malady in horses. Irap is out of the winning Storm Cat mare Silken Cat, who also is the dam (mother) of champion sprinter and sire Speightstown.Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center is now offering an equine lameness therapy that prevents further degeneration of the affected joint and offers a longer-lasting benefit than traditional steroid treatment. In the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, Irap battled bravely for second but came out of the race with a career-threatening injury. The colt followed those wins with a third-place effort behind West Coast and Gunnevera in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on Aug. Irap rebounded in his next race, outfinishing Louisiana Derby winner Girvin in a thrilling stretch duel in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in June and streched his win streak to two with a resounding victory in the Indiana Derby in July. ![]() He faded to finish 18th in the first jewel of the Triple Crown. Irap endured a brutal trip in the Kentucky Derby when bumped at the start and steadied on the final turn. Irap had gone winless in seven career starts prior to the Blue Grass, and entered the $1 million race from a stay at Sunland Park in New Mexico, where he ran second in the Mine That Bird Derby and then a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, the Tiznow colt held off a late charge from dual Grade 1 winner Practical Joke to prevail by a three-quarters of a length and tally 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. Paul Reddam and Doug O’Neill punched their ticket back to Churchill Downs for the 143 rd running of the classic when maiden Irap scored a 31.30-1 shocker in the 2017 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. The two-time Kentucky Derby-winning owner-trainer team of J. ![]()
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