Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) Meeting of 12-14 July 2016
Press releaseVeterinary
The Committee elected Helen Jukes from the United Kingdom as its vice-chair for a 3-year mandate.
CVMP opinions on veterinary medicinal products
The Committee adopted by consensus a positive opinion for an initial marketing authorisation application for ERAVAC, from Laboratorios Hipra, S.A., a vaccine for the active immunisation of fattening rabbits to reduce mortality against the new Type 2 variant of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2).
The Committee adopted by consensus positive opinions for type II variation applications for BLUEVAC BTV8, Suvaxyn Circo+MH RTU and Vectormune ND regarding quality changes. The Committee also adopted by consensus a positive opinion for a type II variation application for Comfortis and Trifexis (subject to a worksharing procedure) regarding quality changes.
More information about the above mentioned medicines, including their full indication, will be published on the Agency's website.
Community referrals and related procedures
The Committee started a procedure for Girolan and its associated name Apralan (apramycin sulphate) from Elanco. The matter was referred to the Committee by Spain, under Article 34 of Directive 2001/82/EC due to divergent decisions taken by Member States resulting in differences in the product information.
The Committee started a procedure for Lincocin and its associated names (lincomycin hydrochloride) from Zoetis. The matter was referred to the Committee by the European Commission, under Article 34 of Directive 2001/82/EC due to divergent decisions taken by Member States resulting in differences in the product information.
The Committee started a procedure for veterinary medicinal products containing tylosin that are administered parenterally and intended for the treatment of bovine mastitis caused by Mycoplasma spp. The matter was referred to the Committee by Finland, under Article 35 of Directive 2001/82/EC due to concerns related to the efficacy of tylosin in the treatment of bovine mastitis caused by Mycoplasma spp.
The Committee concluded the procedure for Velactis (cabergoline) from CEVA Santé Animale. The matter was notified to the Committee by the European Commission under Article 45 of Regulation
(EC) No. 726/2004 due to concerns for animal health arising from pharmacovigilance data. The Committee considered that although the underlying aetiology of the adverse events (including recumbency and death) remains unclear and potential associated risk factors have yet to be determined, there is evidence of a potential association between the events observed and administration of the product. Therefore the Committee adopted by consensus an opinion concluding that at present the overall benefit-risk balance for the product is considered unfavourable and recommended suspension of the marketing authorisation for Velactis until the underlying cause of the reported adverse events, and associated risk factors, are clearly elucidated and adequate risk mitigation measures can be proposed to restore a positive benefit-risk balance. In addition, the CVMP recommended as a precautionary measure a recall of Velactis currently on the market in the EU.
More information about Velactis will be published on the Agency's website.
Maximum Residue Limits
The Committee adopted by consensus a positive opinion recommending the establishment of maximum residue limits for aluminium salicylate, basic in tissues of bovine, caprine, Equidae and rabbits, and in milk for bovine, caprine and Equidae further to the establishment of provisional maximum residue limits.
The Committee adopted by consensus a positive opinion recommending the extension of maximum residue limits for gamithromycin to all ruminants except bovine. Maximum residue limits for bovine species have previously been established.
More information about the above recommendations will be published on the Agency's website.
Scientific advice
The Committee adopted two separate scientific advice reports further to a request for:
- Initial advice on safety and efficacy issues for a veterinary medicinal product for an endocrine condition in dogs; and
- Initial advice on safety and efficacy issues for a veterinary medicinal product for a genito-urinary condition in cats.
Minor use, minor species (MUMS)/limited market
Following the Committee's review of one request for classification under the MUMS/limited market policy, the CVMP classified:
An immunological veterinary medicinal product for use in cattle as not indicated for MUMS/limited market and therefore not eligible for financial incentives.
Pharmacovigilance
The Committee reviewed the PSURs for Dexdomitor, NexGard, Nobilis IB 4-91, Nobilis IB Primo QX, Nobivac Bb, Proteq West Nile, Purevax Rabies, Suprelorin, Vectormune ND, ZULVAC 1 Ovis and ZULVAC 1+8 Ovis,and concluded that no further action or changes to their product literature were required.
The Committee also reviewed the PSUR for COXEVAC and recommended amendments to its product literature.
Concept papers, guidelines and SOPs
Quality
The Committee adopted a draft reflection paper on the chemical structure and properties criteria to be considered for the evaluation of new active substance (NAS) status of chemical substances in marketing authorisation applications for veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/QWP/3629/2016). The reflection paper will be released for a 3-month period of public consultation. This reflection paper has been developed to provide clarifications to applicants on the elements that need to be substantiated in relation to a claim of considering an active substance as NAS.
Safety
The Committee adopted a draft guideline on approach towards harmonisation of withdrawal periods (EMA/CVMP/SWP/735325/2012) for a 6-month period of public consultation. This guideline supersedes the Note for guidance: Approach towards harmonisation of withdrawal periods (EMEA/CVMP/036/95 FINAL), following comments received on the concept paper (EMA/CVMP/SWP/285070/2013) proposing reconsideration of the approach used for considering residues at levels below the limit of quantification.
Environmental Risk Assessment
The Committee adopted a revision of the Questions and Answers document in support of the guidance on the implementation of CVMP Guideline on Environmental Impact Assessment for Veterinary Medicinal Products in support of the VICH Guidelines GL6 (Phase I) and GL38 (Phase II).
The Committee adopted a draft guideline on the higher tier testing of veterinary medicinal products to dung fauna (EMA/CVMP/ERA/409350/2010) for a 6-month period of public consultation. The guideline was developed to provide guidance on how to investigate the environmental effects of veterinary medicinal products containing antiparasitic substances in higher tier laboratory tests and field studies, in situations where the initial Tier A risk assessment indicates a risk to dung flies or beetles. The guideline aims to provide harmonisation of the study design for an easier interpretation and comparison of the results.
Efficacy
The Committee adopted a concept paper for the revision of the Guideline on anticoccidials for the therapy of coccidiosis in chickens, turkeys and geese (7AE15a Vol.7) (EMA/CVMP/EWP/706095/2015) for a 6-month period of public consultation. The revision of the guideline is proposed to review the guideline in line with recent scientific progress, to address 3R's principle and to extend the scope of the guideline to other species (cattle, sheep, pigs and ducks).
The Committee adopted a revised guideline on the testing and evaluation of the efficacy of antiparasitic substances for the treatment and prevention of tick and flea infestations in dogs and cats (CVMP/EWP/005/2000-Rev.3), and the overview of comments (EMA/CVMP/EWP/495905/2015) following the close of public consultation. The guideline has been amended to include requirements for generic products for topical administration, statistical evaluation, assessment of systemically acting ectoparasiticides and clarification on certain aspects of the SPC and other product information. The comments received during the consultation procedure and during an EWP interested parties meeting have been taken into account for the revision of the guideline.
Antimicrobial resistance
The Committee adopted the updated advice on the use of colistin in animals within the European Union (EMA/231573/2016) prepared by the Antimicrobial Advice ad hoc Expert Group (AMEG) following the end of public consultation. The initial advice was adopted in 2013 and the request from the European Commission for the updated advice followed the discovery of the mcr-1 gene and the need to take into account the new information available. The comments received during the consultation procedure have been taken into account for the revision of the scientific advice. The overview of the comments (EMA/390632/2016) has also been adopted by the Committee. Both documents will be published on the Agency's website after their adoption by the CHMP which is foreseen for their July meeting next week.
The Committee adopted a concept paper for revision of the current guideline on the summary of product characteristics for antimicrobial products (EMA/CVMP/AWP/161553/2016) for 3-month period of public consultation. The concept paper was developed to address the optimal use of antimicrobials and to minimise antimicrobial resistance.
Pharmacovigilance
The Committee adopted Questions and Answers on the following pharmacovigilance topic:
- Expressing the frequency of adverse reactions within the product information.
Novel therapies
The Committee agreed for the release of two problem statements prepared by the CVMP Ad hoc Expert Group on Novel Therapies (ADVENT) on novel therapy topics for a 2-month period of public consultation. The problem statements provide the basis for development of guidance on the following novel therapy topics:
- Stem cell-based products for veterinary use: Specific questions on tumorigenicity; and
- Stem cell -based products for veterinary use: Specific questions on target animal safety.
The consultation is used as a means to further facilitate identification of additional pertinent questions relevant to each particular topic. The aim is to take comments received into account for developing guidance in the form of Questions and Answers (Q&A).
The documents above will be published on the Agency's website.
Replacement, Reduction, Refinement of animal testing (3Rs)
The Committee adopted a draft guideline for individual laboratories for transfer of quality control methods validated in collaborative trials with a view to implementing 3Rs (EMA/CHMP/CVMP/JEG-3Rs/94436/2014) for a 6-month period of public consultation, following comments received on the concept paper (EMA/CHMP/CVMP/JEG-3Rs/94304/2014). The guideline was developed to facilitate the transfer of the new methods validated in such trials with a view to implementing 3Rs for testing in a product specific context in laboratories originally involved in the collaborative trial or in new laboratories.
The Committee adopted a report on the review and update of European Medicines Agency (the Agency) guidelines to implement best practice with regard to 3Rs in regulatory testing of medicinal products (EMA/CHMP/CVMP/JEG-3Rs/677407/2015), for a 3-month period of public consultation following its adoption by CHMP. This report summarises the actions taken by the relevant working parties to implement the best practice.
Regulatory matters
The Committee adopted a Question and Answer document on mentioning solvents in the product information of veterinary medicinal products authorised via the centralised procedure further to the close of the consultation period.
The Question and Answer document will be published on the Agency's website.