The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is opening for public comment a proposed rule to ban veterinarians from prescribing antiviral drugs for extralabel use in poultry.
The ban would include the brands Tamiflu and Relenza, as well as the generics amantadine and rimantadine, used to treat influenza in humans. Currently, there are no drugs approved for the treatment or prevention of influenza in animals in the US. The US poultry industry does not use human antiviral drugs to treat influenza in poultry. However, a strain of avian influenza developed resistance to one of the drugs following use in poultry flocks in China last year.
The proposal is available for public comment until May 22 and would likely become a final rule by June 30. Comments may be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov or to the Agency Web site: http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. Written comments may be faxed to 301-827-6870, or delivered by mail or hand to: Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments must be identified by Docket No: 2006N-0106.
Sources:
FDA
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