Antibiotic approved for Philippines sale, amid global pressure to cut drug use
London-based ECO Animal Health Group’s subsidiary, ECO Animal Health Limited (ECO), has been approved to sell and market its antibiotic Aivlosin. The drug is used to treat mycoplasma infections in egg-laying chickens.
ECO secured approval from the Animal Feeds, Veterinary Drugs and Biologics Control Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry, a branch of the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines.
‘Continued progress’ hailed
“The Philippines is the fourth most important egg-producing country in south-east Asia and is ranked seventeenth globally for commercial layers,” said Peter Lawrence, chairman of ECO, in a statement to the market.
“This latest approval demonstrates ECO’s continued progress towards becoming a major force in the international market for veterinary pharmaceutical products for livestock.”
This year, ECO has had antibiotics approved for sale in Canada, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia, the US, and Turkey.
Half-year financial results, published this month, showed a 10% increase in pre-tax profit to £5.9m, fuelled in part by growing demand for Aivlosin.
Approval in the Philippines means ECO can sell the water-soluble drug to farmers, who in turn can add it to chickens’ drinking water to cure a range of mycoplasma infections.
Authorisation meanwhile comes as bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) crack down on antibiotic resistance – a threat they claim could lead to thousands of deaths.
The WHO wants to save antibiotics deemed medically important for human health by encouraging the animal protein industry to reduce “unnecessary use” in animals.
Many meat industry bodies, though, have said their members would continue to use antibiotics as little as possible, but as much as necessary.
Aivlosin is not listed by the US Food and Drug Administation (FDA) as a medically important antibiotic for human health.
Eco Animal Health could not be reached to comment further.
