Twenty-five of 26 drug companies have told the United States
Food and Drug Administration that they will stop selling antibiotics as growth
promotants for livestock and poultry.
Although Canadian officials have said nothing, it’s almost
certain the same thing will happen here simply to preserve the U.S. market for
Canadian livestock and meat.
The
companies are going to either withdraw the drugs completely from the farm
markets or make them available only under a veterinarian’s prescription.
The Food
and Drug Administration wants to limit use of antibiotics in food animals to
curb the potential for antimicrobial resistance in humans.
The
antibiotics will be allowed for farm use to treat bacterial infections and diseases.
The 25
companies account for 99.95 percent of sales.
They are:
- ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc.
- Agri Laboratories, Ltd.
- Bayer Healthcare LLC, Animal Health
Division
- Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
- Contemporary Products, Inc.
- Cross Vetpharm Group Ltd.
- Elanco Animal Health, A Division of Eli
Lilly & Co.
- First Priority, Inc.
- G.C. Hanford Manufacturing Co.
- Huvepharma AD
- Intervet, Inc.
- Med-Pharmex, Inc.
- Merial Ltd.
- Micro Beef Technologies LTD
- Novartis Animal Health US, Inc.
- Pennfield Oil Co.
- Phibro Animal Health Corp.
- Quo Vademus, LLC
- Ridley USA Inc.
- Sparhawk Laboratories, Inc.
- Strategic Veterinary Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
- Veterinary Services, Inc.
- Vetoquinol N.-A., Inc.
- Virbac AH, Inc.
- Zoetis Inc.