During the November 20 SHIC/AASV webinar, Dr. Locke Karriker, AASV president-elect, provided an update on aspirin and sodium salicylate use in swine from a US regulatory perspective.
Previously, the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that aspirin use was of low regulatory concern, but due to its increased use in H5N1 affected dairy cattle, FDA has expressed that is no longer the case. On October 11, the FDA issued a “Dear Veterinarian” letter clarifying that there are no FDA-approved aspirin products for use in cattle (or other livestock). The extralabel use of unapproved drugs in food-producing species is prohibited. For more information, see Guidance Regarding Use of Aspirin Products in Lactating Dairy Cattle.
The full webinar discussing H5N1 risk to swine is available to AASV members in the AASV Video Library. Dr. Karriker’s presentation begins at the 1:18:06 time mark. In his presentation, Dr. Karriker describes how this announcement affects swine and the pathways to legal use of drugs in swine. There is no legal pathway to use aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, or sodium salicylate in swine.
Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA), veterinarians may use only FDA-approved human or animal drug in food-producing species under specific conditions in an extralabel manner. The extralabel use of unapproved drugs in food-producing species is prohibited.
All FDA-approved animal products are required to carry one of the following statements on the label:
“Approved by FDA under NADA # XXX-XXX” (for brand name animal drugs), or
“Approved by FDA under ANADA # XXX-XXX” (for generic animal drugs).
