ZACTRAN IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: For use in cattle only. Do not treat cattle within 35 days of slaughter. Because a discard time in milk has not been established, do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, or in calves to be processed for veal. The effects of ZACTRAN on bovine reproductive performance, pregnancy and lactation have not been determined. Subcutaneous injection may cause a transient local tissue reaction in some cattle that may result in trim loss of edible tissues at slaughter. NOT FOR USE IN HUMANS. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. For full prescribing information please visit https://bit.ly/ZactranPI or call 888-637-4251.
Powerful protection on all fronts
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) costs the cattle industry an estimated $900 million annually in death loss, reduced feed efficiency and treatment costs.1
When it comes to BRD, no vaccine or management practice can prevent infection 100% of the time. An effective battle plan includes three key components: building immunity, mitigating risk and managing infections.
Build immunity
Colostrum is critical to building calf immunity. Passive transfer of maternal antibodies helps protect calves from disease-causing organisms until their immune system is fully functional. As passive immunity wanes, vaccination is important to jump-start acquired immunity.
PYRAMID® + PPRESPONSE® SQ vaccines are proven to stimulate immunity in the face of maternal antibodies, and are proven to protect your calves against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) Type 1b, the most prevalent type in the United States.2 They offer broad coverage against a combination of viruses, and are delivered in a single dose with MetaStim® adjuvant to stimulate a strong immune response, even in the face of maternal antibodies.
Mitigate risk
Risk factors can increase the disease challenge and overwhelm a calf’s immune system. Help mitigate these risk factors by:
- minimizing commingling
- providing adequate shade for heat, ensuring clean, dry bedding for cold, ensuring good nutrition and fresh clean water
- screening all incoming calves for BVDV and removing persistently infected calves
- working with a veterinarian to implement a BRD prevention protocol
Manage infections
Sometimes, even with a strong vaccination protocol and low-stress management practices, some cattle may still come down with BRD. If that happens, animals may require an antimicrobial to help their immune system fight the disease.
ZACTRAN® (gamithromycin) treats all major BRD-causing bacteria, and controls respiratory disease in cattle at risk of developing BRD.3 It reaches the site of infection in just 30 minutes4*, reaches peak concentration in the lungs in 12 hours4* and calves typically see improvement within 24 hours.5**
Find the full BRD Battle Plans that fit your operation
Initiatives
Count on us for tools and programs to help you put cattle first, from educational and marketing programs to industry support.
* Clinical relevance has not been determined.
** A small percentage of cattle may have already suffered lung damage, and may be too far gone or require a little longer to turn around.
1 Chirase NK, Greene LW. Dietary zinc and manganese sources administered from the fetal stage onward affect immune response of transit-stressed and virus-infected offspring steer calves. Anim Feed Sci Technol 2001;93(3–4):217–228.
2 Fulton RW, Cook BJ, Payton ME, et al. Immune response to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) vaccines detecting antibodies to BVDV subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a and 2c. Vaccine 2020;38(24):4032–4037.
3 ZACTRAN® product label. ZACTRAN is indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle.
4 Giguere S, Huang R, Malinski TJ, et al. Disposition of gamithromycin in plasma, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid, bronchoalveolar cells and lung tissue in cattle. Am J Vet Res 2011;72(3):326–330.
5 Sifferman RL, Wolff WA, Holste JE, et al. Field efficacy evaluation of gamithromycin for treatment of bovine respiratory disease in cattle at feedlots. Intern J Appl Res Vet Med 2011;9(2):166–175.
PYRAMID®, the PYRAMID logo® and PRESPONSE® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. ZACTRAN® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France, used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner. ©2025 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-RUM-0130-2025