VPC Report on Antibiotic Resistance - antibiotics for
animals "essential"
"Antimicrobials are essential drugs for the treatment and
prevention of disease. They help reduce animal suffering and contribute to
the production of healthy food". This statement from the Veterinary
Products Committee underpinned its new report on antimicrobial
resistance in relation to veterinary medicines, published on 13 February.
Moreover, the report acknowledges that "given the available evidence,
treatment failure in human medicine is more likely to arise from
sub-optimal antimicrobial use in humans."
Welcoming many aspects of the report, the National Office of Animal
Health was pleased the report recognised the already stringent controls on
the approval of antibiotics and their maintenance on the market, and the
work being done to ensure they continue to be used responsibly. For
example, the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate, in its response to the
Report, highlighted the Government's active support for the RUMA
(Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture) Alliance's guidelines for
the responsible use of antibiotics.
The Government will be looking at the Report, and the comments from the
Veterinary Medicines Directorate, before announcing its response. NOAH are
reassured that the report validates the long held opinion of the animal
medicines industry, that the real cause of antibiotic resistance is not
with excessive or inappropriate use in animals.
"Nevertheless", said NOAH's chief executive Phil Sketchley,
"We acknowledge that, even though animal antibiotics are not the
major issue for human medicine problems, we still have a big part to play
in ensuring they remain effective to protect both humans and animals.
However, we believe that the fundamental background to this report: that
animal antibiotics are essential and are not causing problems for human
medicine, needs to be the key to the Government's response. As the report
itself says, 'The requirements for the provision of data in support of a
licence claim must not be so stringent as to prevent the authorisation of
potentially useful products'. Veterinary surgeons must not miss out on
potentially life-saving new treatments for British animals, because of any
further tightening of licensing requirements and further unnecessary
restrictions on their use". He added that it was a futile exercise to
burden British vets and farmers further, when meat can be imported from
areas where no such controls on antibiotic use exist - exposing unwitting
consumers of the produce to potential risk.
The animal health industry, through its global federation IFAH and
through NOAH in the UK, looks forward to continuing to work with the
regulators, colleagues in the food chain and the medical profession, to
ensure antibiotics can continue to provide excellent service to animal
welfare and to the production of healthy, safe food from healthy animals,
with no compromise to human health.
24 February 2003
Notes for Editors
For further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131,
or visit the NOAH website.
The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1
January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market
licensed animal health products. The association has 36 corporate members and
13 associate members.
In 2001 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £359 million UK animal health
market, with additional valuable exports.
The Veterinary Products Committee
(VPC) was established in 1970 under Section 4 of the Medicines Act 1968
with the following Terms of Reference - " To give advice with
respect to safety, quality and efficacy in relation to the veterinary
use of any substance or article (not being an instrument, apparatus or
appliance) to which any provision of the Medicines Act is applicable.
" To promote the collection of information relating to suspected
adverse reactions for the purpose of enabling such advice to be
given.
The report is available on the VPC
website http://www.vpc.gov.uk
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