Nitarsone is an

organoarsenic compound Organoarsenic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds containing a chemical bond between arsenic and carbon. A few organoarsenic compounds, also called "organoarsenicals," are produced industrially with uses as insecticides, herbicides, and fu ...

that is used in poultry production as a feed additive to increase weight gain, improve feed efficiency, and prevent histomoniasis (blackhead disease). It is marketed as Histostat by

Zoetis Zoetis Inc. (/zō-EH-tis/) is an American drug company, the world's largest producer of medicine and vaccinations for pets and livestock. The company was a subsidiary of Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, but with Pfizer's spinoff of its ...

. Nitarsone once was one of four arsenical food-animal drugs—along with roxarsone, arsanilic acid, and

carbarsone Carbarsone is an organoarsenic compound used as an antiprotozoal drug for treatment of amebiasis and other infections. It was available for amebiasis in the United States as late as 1991. Thereafter, it remained available as a turkey feed additi ...

—approved by the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

for use in feeding poultry. However, following the suspension of sales of roxarsone in the United States in 2011, nitarsone was thought to be the only arsenical animal drug actually marketed in the U.S. In September 2013, the FDA announced that

and

Fleming Laboratories Fleming may refer to: Places Australia *Fleming, Northern Territory, a town and a locality Canada * Fleming, Saskatchewan * Fleming Island (Saskatchewan) Egypt * Fleming (neighborhood), a neighborhood in Alexandria Greenland * Fleming Fjord ...

agreed to voluntarily withdraw from using roxarsone, arsanilic acid, and

, which left nitarsone as the only arsenical approved in the U.S. for use in food animals. But in 2015, the FDA also withdrew approval of nitarsone in animal feeds, effective at the end of 2015.

References

{{reflist Arsonic acids Veterinary drugs Antiprotozoal agents Medicated feed