AVMA committed to working with FDA to reduce antimicrobial resistance

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Tom McPheron, AVMA
Phone: 847-285-6781
Cell: 773-494-5419
e-mail: Tom McPheron

Schaumburg, IL

— In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new draft guidance on the appropriate uses for antimicrobial drugs in animal agriculture, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is grateful the FDA is looking to the experts—veterinarians—to help address this important issue.

“The AVMA is pleased that the FDA is committed to working with the veterinary profession to address antimicrobial resistance concerns. Veterinarians are essential to any discussion regarding the importance of disease control and prevention. We look forward to reviewing and commenting on the draft guidance,” says Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA.

The FDA’s new draft guidance calls for the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock to protect the effectiveness of these drugs as human therapies. Antimicrobial drugs have been a common therapy in both human and veterinary medicine over the past 50 years, and the development of resistance to these drugs among the microbes that they are intended to control has been a top concern for many years.

Dr. Bernadette Dunham, a veterinarian and director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said that the FDA is committed to working with veterinary organizations – like the AVMA – as well as leaders in animal agriculture, to develop a “practical strategy to address antimicrobial resistance concerns.”

The FDA is also seeking public comment on the draft guidance for the industry. The new draft rules are available online athttp://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM216936.pdf.

For more information about the AVMA and the issue of antimicrobial resistance, please visit www.avma.org.

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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 80,000 member veterinarians worldwide are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. AVMA members are dedicated to advancing the science and art of veterinary medicine, including its relationship to public health and agriculture. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org to learn more about veterinary medicine and animal care and to access up-to-date information on the association’s issues, policies and activities.