Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have reintroduced the “Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance Act.” This legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of medically important antibiotics used for “disease prevention or control that are at high risk of abuse,” unless the producer of the drug can demonstrate that its use in agriculture does not pose a risk to human health.

Antibiotics that meet the standard for prevention and control uses would be issued a revised label that supports prudent antibiotic use. The Senators say this legislation is needed to address the gap from the guidelines issued by the FDA last December regarding the elimination of antibiotics for growth promotion. They said that the FDA estimates that 107 antibiotics used for therapeutic purposes, including disease prevention or control, does not have a defined duration or therapy or are labeled for continuous use.

Last year, the Pew Charitable Trusts estimated that 83 antibiotics used for disease prevention or control have an overlapping dose with a production use. This legislation was also introduced last Congress.