FDA releases antimicrobial sales totals

ROCKVILLE, MD. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a report summarizing sales and distribution data of antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals.

The agency reports that the data collection "assists FDA in its continuing analysis of the interactions (including drug resistance), efficacy and safety of antibiotics approved for use in both humans and food-producing animals."

These data are summarized by drug class to protect confidential business information, the agency says. And only those antimicrobial classes with three or more distinct sponsors of approved and actively marketed animal drug products are independently reported, FDA says.

Annual totals (domestic) for each of the antimicrobial classes include:

• Aminoglycosides: 339,678 kg

• Cephalosporins: 41,328 kg

• Ionophores: 3,740,627 kg

• Lincosamides: 115,837 kg

• Macrolides: 861,985 kg

• Penicillins: 610,514 kg

• Sulfas: 517,873 kg

• Tetracyclines: 4,611,892 kg

• Not independently reported: 2,227,366.

For more information go to www.fda.gov/cvm and look for "2009 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals."