The FDA will continue to allow off-label use of the antibiotic cephalosporin in animals raised for food, including cows, chickens and pigs. In July, the FDA announced that it would crack down on the use of off-label antibiotics in animals used for food. The American Medical Association is among the groups critical of the overuse of antibiotics in animals, which has been tied to the development of antibiotic resistance in humans. The ban was scheduled to take effect on November 30. Cephalosporin is used to treat cows and pigs for respiratory disease, but is also given to other livestock for infectious diseases. Advocates for the ban attribute the FDA’s reversal to pressure from livestock companies and companies that make drugs for animals.

Source: Wall Street Journal