AVMA president set to testify before Congress

Lori M. Teller, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline), CVJ, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is scheduled to testify in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on On March 30, 2023, at 9 AM EST, to talk more about the importance of reauthorizing the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act (AGDUFA). The legislation is up for reauthorization every 5 years and is crucial to ensure a predictable pathway market for both new and innovative animal and generic animal drugs, according to the AVMA.¹

"Veterinarians need additional new, innovative, and generic animal drugs that have been demonstrated to be safe and effective to help protect animal and public health. We support the collection of user fees for new and generic animal drug applications when they are used to expedite the review and approval process for these products,” said Teller, in an organizational release.

“The AVMA is grateful for this opportunity to highlight how critical the ADUFA and AGDUFA programs are to veterinarians in addressing the need for more safe, effective, and approved animal drugs for the benefit of our patients, their owners, and communities across the country," she continued.

The AVMA supports the collection and effective use of user fees to enhance the review and approval of new and generic animal drugs with the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA CVM).

Although the past animal drug user fee agreements have fought for better efficiency of animal drug review and approvals, there is still more to do, according to the organization. The AVMA supports the following:

• The FDA CVM adopting processes used by other similar regulatory agencies that could streamline and shorten the time needed to approve products for markets in the US.
• Giving veterinarians the power to use conditionally approved products in an extra-label manner to fulfill unmet needs in access to new drugs.
• The approval of more generic animal drugs, giving veterinarians consistent and affordable access to the medications needed to treat patients.

Reference

AVMA President to testify before Congress. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. March 29, 2023. Accessed March 29, 2023. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avma-president-to-testify-before-congress-301784959.html