The EUFEPS Network on Veterinary Medicines

  Founded in 2017 the Network on Veterinary Medicines is comparatively young among the already existing specified EUFEPS Networks. A group of 20 scientists from academia and industry have expressed their interest in actively participating in the Network with 8 colleagues build­ing the Steering Group which is accountable for organizing this project and keep it going. The Steering Group comprises academics from different (veterinary) universities in the EU, Turkey, the U.S.A. and the EUFEPS Senate. Position papers describing the aims and prospects of the Network in more detail have recently been published [1, 2].

     The creation of a Network on Veterinary Medicines was prompted by the straight ambition of EUFEPS to bring together pharmaceutical societies as well as academic, industrial, and regulatory scientists engaged in drug research and development, drug regulation and in educa­tion of professionals on the one hand and the manifold related issues specifically linked to veterinary medicines on the other. In addition, many problems resulting from the use of veter­inary drugs are inherently connected to human medicine, for instance antimi­crobial resistance problems, environmental concerns, and aspects of public health. Many concerns result from the common use of pharmacological substances both in human and veterinary medicine, thus, substantiating the “WHO-One-Health-Initiative”. In fact, the One-Health-Concept became a main perspective of the Network´s activities.

     The procedures for obtaining marketing authorization for a veterinary medicinal product (VMP) are comparable to those for human medicines. VMPs must comply with governing regulations which set high standards to assure pharmaceutical quality, safety (regarding target animals, drug administrator, environment), and clinical efficacy [3]. In addition, veterinary medicines have many specific features in dependence of their intended therapeutic use. These are determined by the many animal species to be treated such as pet animal or food producing species like farmed poultry (laying hens, broilers, turkeys, ducks), small (goat, sheep) and large ruminants (cows), pigs, equids, fish and so forth, kept individually or in mass live­stock production farms requiring exclusive husbandry systems, distinctive drug formulations and drug administration systems.

     The Network on Veterinary Medicines will not only complete the yet operating EUFEPS Networks – it will also substantially benefit from them because practically all EUFEPS Networks have the potential to give input to the veterinary Network. This constellation is well suited to realize a long-term goal – the expansion of the available spectrum of innovative, safe, and efficient therapeutics for use in animals. This goal also comprises advanced drug delivery systems and the use of innovative methodologies for the (preclinical) study of pharmacologically active substances.

[1] L. Dencker, K. Hellmann, J. Mochel, S. Şenel, E. Tyden, J.C. Vendrig, H. Linden, I. Schmerold (2016). Position Paper: EUFEPS Network on Veterinary Medicines Initiative: An interdisciplinary forum to support Veterinary Pharmacology and promote the development of new pharmaceuticals for Animal Health. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 91 (2016) I–VII

[2] Mochel, J.P., Tyden, E., Hellmann, K., Vendrig, J.C., Şenel, S., Dencker, L., Cristina, R.T., Linden, H., Schmerold, I (2018). Network on Veterinary Medicines initiated by the European Federation for Pharmaceuti­cal Sciences. Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2018; 41, 378-383. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvp.12472

[3] Gehring, R., Mochel, J.P., Schmerold, I. 2023. Understanding the Background and Clinical Significance of the WHO, WOAH and EMA Classifications of Antimicrobials to Mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2023, https://doi10.3389/fvets.2023.1153048

[4] Schmerold I., van Geijlswijk, I., Gehring, R. 2023. European regulations on the use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106473