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VPC Report on Antibiotic Resistance - antibiotics
for animals "essential"
NOAH Press Release
24 February 2003
http://www.noah.co.uk/
"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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