Healthy Animals, Healthy Food
Christmas is approaching and with it the time of special sumptuous treats. Whether it's a festive roast or a Christmas goose – these days consumer can rely on one thing more than ever: the quality of their food. The manufacturers of veterinary medicines make a major contribution here. They respond to the ever-growing demands of consumers by continually reviewing and improving their own efforts.
"The industry has to ensure that the drugs it develops not only efficiently combat animal diseases, but also meet all the demands of consumer safety at the same time. This ultimately requires exhaustive drug research to keep on generating improvements," says Professor Norbert Schmeer, Head of Clinical Research & Development at Bayer Health-Care's Animal Health Division.
High development costs
The demands on the development and market approval of a veterinary drug are similar to those in human medicine, especially when it comes to medicinal products for livestock. In this field, the development process up to the finished product can take up to ten years. Medications for pets can be developed in a shorter period of time.
The difference has primarily to do with the fact that the demands made on products for livestock are stricter because of the risk of residues in foodstuffs. "There are clear ceilings on residue levels of certain active substances and their decomposition products, known as metabolites. These levels must not be exceeded later in either meat, milk or eggs. We already have to take this into account during product development," says Schmeer.
This is why a new drug is so expensive to develop. The costs can be as high as €60 million. As a result, it is growing increasingly rare for new veterinary drugs to be discovered and developed to market maturity. Schmeer: "Yet veterinary medicines are indispensable, because para-sitic and infectious diseases are still particularly common in farm animals. Bayer HealthCare invests about ten percent of its revenue every year in veterinary drug research.
Guidelines on proper use
Respiratory diseases, for example, are very widespread among cattle. To treat these, Bayer HealthCare has developed a highly effective antibiotic which quickly eliminates the germs that cause them. It is important, however, that such products are used in a targeted and controlled manner, since preventing resistance in animals and humans is a top priority. To ensure efficacy and avoid such consequences, Bayer HealthCare has published its own guidelines aimed at ensuring that prescription antibiotics are used properly.
The targeted use of drugs is also important in diarrhea diseases, which can affect virtually all kinds of livestock. Furthermore, today it is also possible to directly target the intestinal parasites (coccidia) that trigger the disease – with Baycox® developed by Bayer HealthCare.
The example of Dermanyssus avium (red bird mite) illustrates the im-portance of consumer protection especially well. This parasite – much feared by poultry farmers – attacks its host animals at night to suck their blood. It triggers extreme itching in chickens, causing laying hens to become constantly restless; badly infected animals suffer from anemia and can even die as a result. The treatment must free the animals of the mites without the hens' eggs becoming contaminated with potentially dangerous residues. Bayer HealthCare has now developed such a product that can also be used in occupied henhouses.
Approval only if residues can be measured
The authorities will only approve a drug if the manufacturer can prove the existence of a functioning method for detecting residues in foods such as milk, meat and eggs. A maximum residue level which may not be exceeded is laid down at the same time. Regulations also specify a minimum period between the last administration of a drug and the earliest date on which an animal may be slaughtered, or the food marketed. To make sure the goose really does bring us Christmas cheer.
Advice for patients
Every body reacts differently to medicines. Therefore it is impossible to tell which medicine works best for your animal. Please consult your veterinary.
