Ivo Classen, Head of Veterinary Medicines at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), sat down to discuss how the agency’s work in the field of veterinary medicines benefits both public and animal health, in the lead-up to the EMA’s Veterinary Awareness Day on 12-13 September 2023.
In the first event of its kind, the EMA intends to interact with stakeholders, consumers, users and animal owners to showcase its progress in the veterinary medicines sector. Topics of discussion will include animal welfare, environmental risk assessments, and the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on animals.
Classen’s session gave the audience an indication of the two-day event. He has been working closely with the recent Veterinary Medicines Regulation (VMR) which has been guiding much of the agency’s work. He also outlined the current situation regarding antimicrobial resistance and how the agency’s ‘One Health’ initiative and the VMR are to be used to tackle it. The VMR contains specific regulation to prohibit the prophylactic use of antimicrobials and establishes a list of antimicrobials which can never be used in animals.
He concluded the session with a Q&A where questions were posed on topics including animal welfare, the evolution of zoonotic diseases and vector vaccines.
