Overuse of antibiotics in factory farming

At the end of July I wrote Congress about the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming. This practice has helped to increase bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which ultimately makes these medications less effective at curing human illness. I asked my reps in Washington to support the Animal Drug User Fee Act which has since become law.

Here's the response I received from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

Thank you for contacting me about renewing the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA). I appreciate hearing from you.

As you know, the ADUFA user fee program funds the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) premarket review of new drugs used on animals. As you discussed in your letter, concerns have been raised about ensuring that renewal legislation protects against the overuse or misuse of antibiotics that could contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance-thereby decreasing the number of effective medicines available to combat bacterial infections.

Accordingly, during the House Energy and Commerce Committee's recent review of ADUFA legislation (H.R. 6432), Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) introduced an amendment that would require drug sponsors to report annually to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the amounts of active antimicrobial ingredients included in their drugs. This amendment was included in the final version of H.R. 6432, passed by the House of Representatives on July 30th, as were provisions creating a separate user-fee system for the review of generic animal drugs. Following Senate passage of H.R. 6432 on August 1, President Bush signed the legislation into law (P.L. 110-316) on August 14.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site at reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.