It's well-documented that antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat. Drug-resistant bacteria infect about 2 million Americans a year, causing at least 23,000 deaths, according to CDC data. Now, the FDA is enlisting antibiotics producers like Eli Lilly and Zoetis to help it cut down on the drugs' use in livestock and keep resistance from mounting.
Wednesday, the agency issued final guidance asking drugmakers and animal health companies to revise labels on their antibiotics, striking references to animal production to reflect medicinal uses only. Once companies elect to change their labels, using those drugs to fatten up livestock will become illegal, and their therapeutic use will require a vet's oversight.
The FDA has requested that animal pharma companies let it know within three months that they're signing onto the plan; after that, they will have three years to make the switch. As Reuters reports, Lilly ($LLY) and Zoetis ($ZTS), two of the biggest animal antibiotics producers, have already agreed to stem their use.
Read more: FDA asks Lilly, Zoetis to help it thwart antibiotic resistance - FiercePharma http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/fda-asks-lilly-zoetis-help-it-thwart-antibiotics-resistance/2013-12-12#ixzz2nvn0WvGZ
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