iFDA will continue reviewing how medically important antimicrobials are given to animals in feed or water.
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FDA announced this week that it is “entering the next phase” of efforts to avoid increased antimicrobial resistance. This phase will involve limiting use of “medically important antimicrobials” – those that are also important for human disease treatment – by first seeking additional information from the public regarding the feeding of those products to animals “without a defined duration of use.”
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FDA will accept public comments regarding this issue for 90 days after September 14, 2016. FDA wants to learn about currently approved products “that lack defined durations of use on their labels.” Specifically, FDA seeks comments regarding the underlying diseases requiring these drugs, targeted use regimens, livestock husbandry practices, and labeling strategies to update drug labels with a defined duration of use.
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FDA reiterated its expectation that on January 1, 2017, medically important antimicrobials will only be used for “therapeutic animal health purposes.” Interested parties should submit comments by December 13, 2016.
