Elanco Animal Health has announced new commitments in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, focusing on three key areas of stewardship, including combating antimicrobial resistance through responsible antibiotic use, reducing the need for medically important antibiotics in livestock, and significantly investing in researching new alternatives. New commitments include: Investing at least half of Elanco’s food animal research and development budget in projects dedicated to developing alternatives to shared-class antibiotics Increasing veterinary and professional oversight access in countries with limited resources through new partnerships Expanding data collection and analytics to inform animal health professionals on best practices Encouraging vaccination and nutrition programs that reduce the need for medically important antibiotics by preventing disease The Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), is a yearlong effort to accelerate the fight against antimicrobial resistance with action across governments and industries. “It is of utmost importance we address the complex challenge of antimicrobial resistance and preserve the effectiveness of medicines for people and animals,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco. “Supporting the CDC and HHS effort is an important step in reaffirming our commitment to responsible antibiotic usage and veterinary oversight capacity around the world. This is a global issue, and any solution will require global participation across all sectors of human and animal health.” The company’s commitment, outlined within the CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge materials, is the next step in Elanco’s eight-point antibiotic stewardship plan. Since its inception in 2015, Elanco has made tangible progress on the plan, including the following: Changed nearly 100 labels to remove growth promotion claims from medically important antibiotic molecules globally, even if the practice is allowed by local regulation Completed submission of 67 labels to move products from over-the-counter use to be under the oversight of a veterinarian in the countries where OTC uses remained and veterinary infrastructure exists Brought more than 15 antibiotic alternatives into the pipeline to help producers replace antibiotics when possible Convened the One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Summit for more than 200 global animal protein industry and food chain leaders and declared priorities to help combat antimicrobial resistance as part of efforts to produce a sustainable food supply Joined with 200 other companies and 700,000 veterinarians worldwide to undersign HealthforAnimals’ Commitments and Actions on Antibiotic Use, which outlines the five guiding responsible use principles of the animal medicines industry
