Ketamine-Xylazine Mixture from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation
We were recently made aware that the Sigma-Aldrich Corporation is manufacturing and selling a mixture of Ketamine and Xylazine marketed for use in laboratory research animals. This product is NOT a pharmaceutical-grade drug and, therefore, is NOT appropriate for use as an anesthetic in research animals.
As a reminder, a pharmaceutical-grade drug is one that:
- Has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in humans or animals, OR
- For which a chemical purity standard has been established by the United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF), or British Pharmacopeia (BP).
These standards are used by manufacturers to help ensure that products are of the appropriate chemical purity and quality and in the appropriate solution or compound necessary for stability, safety, and efficacy.
Our Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) requires that pharmaceutical-grade drugs be used in all animal-based research UNLESS scientific justification has been provided and approved by the IACUC prior to use in animals.
Adherence to this policy is critical to safeguarding animal health and well-being and is consistent with the guidelines and regulations set forth by the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Next Steps and Additional Resources
Please review the U-M Controlled Substances Monitoring Program webpage for important information on how to appropriately order and receive pharmaceutical-grade drugs for use in research animals.
If you have already purchased a Ketamine-Xylazine mixture from the Sigma Aldrich Corporation (review the product datasheet), we recommend that you either return this product to the vendor or dispose of it properly.
Do NOT use this product on animals.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have additional questions or concerns about this notice, or about the appropriate use of pharmaceutical-grade drugs (e.g., anesthetics, analgesics, chemicals, biologics, etc.) in laboratory research animals, please consult with your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian. If you don’t know your faculty veterinarian, please contact the ULAM Business Office at (734) 764-0277 or ulam-questions@umich.edu and your question will be routed appropriately.
Questions about the use of controlled substances in research should be directed to the U-M Office of Research Controlled Substances Monitoring Program at (734) 764-2003 or cs-monitors@med.umich.edu.