Cefquinome, an antibiotic manufactured by Intervet, did not receive approval this past fall from the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee. However, the FDA is still considering approving the drug for use in cattle.

“FDA cannot refuse the product if the company meets all the requirements set forth for approval, and Intervet has done that,” says Larry Hollis, Extension beef veterinarian at Kansas State University. “The only way approval can be denied is if it’s stopped politically.”

Intervet says Cefquinome is the “active ingredient of various Cobactan formulations, which are licensed in Europe for the treatment of respiratory disease, mastitis, septicemia and foot rot in cattle and/or swine.”

These fourth-generation cephalosporins have been used in Europe for treating veterinary and human infectious diseases. Intervet says there have been no problems. However, several U.S. organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), are opposed to the approval of Cefquinome because of human health concerns.

Source: Iowa Farmer Today