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Aspirin and Sodium Salicylate Use in Swine – Webinar and Audio Recording Available

During the November 20 SHIC/AASV webinar, Dr. Locke Karriker, AASV president-elect, provided an update on aspirin and sodium salicylate use in swine from a US regulatory perspective.

Watch Dr. Karriker’s presentation HERE.

Download the mp3 audio file HERE.

Previously, the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that aspirin use was of low regulatory concern, but due to its increased use in H5N1 affected dairy cattle, FDA has expressed that is no longer the case. On October 11, the FDA issued a “Dear Veterinarian” letter clarifying that there are no FDA-approved aspirin products for use in cattle (or other livestock). The extralabel use of unapproved drugs in food-producing species is prohibited. For more information, see Guidance Regarding Use of Aspirin Products in Lactating Dairy Cattle.

In his presentation, Dr. Karriker describes how this announcement affects swine and the pathways to legal use of drugs in swine. There is no legal pathway to use aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, or sodium salicylate in swine.

Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA), veterinarians may use only FDA-approved human or animal drug in food-producing species under specific conditions in an extralabel manner. The extralabel use of unapproved drugs in food-producing species is prohibited. 

All FDA-approved animal products are required to carry one of the following statements on the label:

     “Approved by FDA under NADA # XXX-XXX” (for brand name animal drugs), or 

     “Approved by FDA under ANADA # XXX-XXX” (for generic animal drugs).

AASV Resources: 

Extra-label Drug Use (AMDUCA)

FDA AMDUCA website — Resource information from the FDA regarding AMDUCA.

AMDUCA and Extra-label Drug Use in Swine — A brochure providing an algorithm for the use of drugs in an extra-label manner and describing additional restrictions for the extra-label use of cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.

AVMA: Extralabel Drug Use (ELDU) Algorithm — An online algorithm.

AMDUCA Revisited — JSHAP article describing AMDUCA in swine medicine.