US Animal Health Industry to Comply with FDA Guidance on AGPs

US - Members of the Animal Health Institute (AHI) and the Generic Animal Drug Alliance (GADA) have announced they are to phase out their use of medically important antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs).
calendar icon 19 March 2014
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Members of the Animal Health Institute (AHI) and the Generic Animal Drug Alliance (GADA) today announced their written commitments to align all affected products with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) policy on judicious use of antibiotics. Under the policy, the growth promotion uses of medically important compounds will be phased out and veterinary oversight of the use of therapeutic products will be phased in.

FDA stated it anticipates the new policy will be fully phased in over the next three years and originally asked companies to communicate their intentions to the agency within 90 days from 12 December 2013, when Final Guidance 213 was announced.

AHI President and CEO Alexander S. Mathews, said: “FDA’s collaborative stakeholder process works. By working cooperatively with stakeholders, FDA has achieved a significant change in the way antibiotics are to be used in animal agriculture that we believe will avoid unintended consequences.”

FDA still must issue a final rule on proposed changes to the veterinary feed directive, the mechanism used to ensure veterinary oversight of products used in feed.

Successful implementation of this policy means that medically important antibiotics will only be used in food animals under the direction of a veterinarian when there is a specific disease challenge.

Mr Mathews added: “We understand that consumers have concerns about medically important antibiotics being used to promote growth. We hope this change in regulation and control will increase consumer confidence and lead to a more productive discussion about animal welfare, sustainability and public health.”

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