September 29, 2006

FDA committee rejects Intervet's cattle antibiotic

A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee this week rejected the animal health product manufacturer Intervet's claim  that its new cattle antibiotic Cefquinome could be considered safe for human health.

The decision by the FDA Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC) came at the end of a hearing on Monday which saw the American Medical Association, Infectious Disease Society of America, Keep Antibiotics Working coalition and Union of Concerned Scientists testifying against the use of the drug.

Cefquinome, proposed for use against respiratory disease in cattle, is a fourth-generation cephalosporin, a class which includes the important human drug cefepime.

Because of this similarity, concerned groups have opposed the use of the drug, since it may undermine the effectiveness of drugs for humans. The groups said that use of cefepime in cattle could increase cephalosporin-resistant E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, two major causes of food poisoning.

Although the recommendations of the VMAC are not binding, the FDA would likely reject the drug if it accepts the committee's findings.