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Communications: Solutions to the Shortage of Approved Fish Therapeutants
Author(s) -
Meyer Fred P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8667(1989)001<0078:csttso>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - economic shortage , food and drug administration , veterinary drugs , aquaculture , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , drug , fishery , microbiology and biotechnology , toxicology , medicine , pharmacology , veterinary medicine , linguistics , philosophy , government (linguistics)
Thirty‐nine compounds are now registered or approved for aquatic or fisheries uses, of which only eight are for the treatment of diseases. Three antibacterials are approved, but only two, Terramycin and Romet 30, are available. Despite a rapidly expanding volume of literature about the effectiveness of compounds against fish pathogens, virtually no researchers have conducted the types of studies needed for approval of these compounds by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is a pressing need for the development of data on pharmacokinetics, residue dynamics, withdrawal periods, metabolites, and environmental fate for compounds with potential fisheries applications. We do not need more candidate drugs. Researchers should focus their studies on compounds that have good efficacy, are available in veterinary or feed formulations and, if possible, are already approved for use in another animal species. If a drug is available only for human use, most sponsors will not support its use in aquaculture. There is also little to be gained by further testing of drugs that have known adverse characteristics, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, teratogenicity, or other serious side effects. Candidate drugs that might fill various types of need are briefly discussed.