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Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1167)	12/2/1998 2:54:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

12/02 13:17 EU scientists back antibiotics ban in animal feed BRUSSELS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A majority of European Union scientists on Wednesday backed a European Commission proposal to ban the use of four antibiotics in animal feed over fears the drugs were becoming less effective in treating humans, EU officials said. The ban, if approved, will hit four multinational drugs manufacturers including France's Rhone-Poulenc <RHON.PA> and Pfizer <PFE.N> of the United States, costing millions of dollars. "This is a precautionary measure based on the scientific evidence available to ensure that we preserve to the greatest extent possible antibiotics for the fight against disease in humans," Commission spokesman Gerry Kiely told Reuters. Ten countries voted in favour of the ban. But Belgium, Portugal and Spain voted against while France and Italy abstained, he added. EU farm ministers are likely to give the ban the final green light when they meet on December 14. It would then enter into force on July 1, 1999 to allow farmers to run down their stocks, said EU diplomats. EU farm chief Franz Fischler opted to propose the ban earlier this month after being told by scientific experts antibiotics were becoming less effective as people ingested them in meat. Pfizer's director of international public affairs Ghislain Follet told a Brussels press conference on Wednesday a ban would cost the four companies between $200 million and $300 million in lost sales a year. Some 350-400 jobs would also be lost as a result and farmers could expect to lose around $1 billion a year in savings made by using the drugs, said a spokesman for Elanco Animal Health, part of Eli Lilly <LLY.N>, another of the companies affected. The four drugs - Bacitracin Zinc, Spiramycin, Virginia Mycin and Tylosin Phosphate - are added in minute quantities to feedstuffs for pigs and poultry to boost meat yields by keeping animals healthy and free of disease. But the pharmaceuticals industry has voiced concerns the Commission's proposal has not been based on sound science. "We are confident that future studies will show there is no scientific basis for the ban," said Follet. The drugs have been used without problems for the last thirty years and taking them out of the food chain could have serious consequences for the environment, he added. "Let's allow the scientific process and proper data to make the decisions and not have a preemptive political decision because of certain countries," said Elanco's Dennis Erpelding. Finland and Sweden, which have long held the use of antibiotics in animal feed is detrimental to human health, had influenced the Commission, said Erpelding. But the Commission said it had to act where it perceived a danger to public health. "We cannot take the risk of waiting for 100 percent confirmation that there is a problem," Kiely said. And the Commission was also mulling a ban on two other antiparasitical drugs -- Carbadox, manufactured by Pfizer, and Olaquindox made by Bayer <BAYG.F>, Kiely said.