Published February 13, 2026 — Federal Register 91 FR 6855
BREAKING: The FDA has finalized Guidance for Industry #273, ending the comment period and establishing official recommendations for duration limits on medically important antimicrobials in food animal feed. The final guidance was published in the Federal Register today.
What Just Happened
Roughly one-third of medically important antimicrobials approved for food-producing animals previously had no defined duration of use. Farmers could add these drugs to feed indefinitely for disease prevention—a practice that critics argue drives antimicrobial resistance while compensating for poor husbandry.
As of today, FDA’s final guidance recommends that sponsors voluntarily establish defined durations for these antimicrobial feed additives. The goal: targeted use that maintains therapeutic efficacy while minimizing selection pressure for resistant organisms.
Key Details from the Final Guidance
- Scope: Feed-administered drugs only (non-feed formulations already have defined durations)
- Compliance: Voluntary, but FDA expects industry cooperation (similar to GFI #213’s success)
- Target: Prevention indications—treatment and control typically already have defined durations
- Timeline: Guidance includes proposed timelines for sponsors to align their NADAs and ANADAs
Why This Matters Now
This finalizes work that began with FDA’s 2018 CVM 5-Year Action Plan. Duration limits close a significant gap in veterinary antimicrobial stewardship. Extended low-dose exposure is precisely the selection pressure that generates resistant populations.
With the guidance now final, expect drug sponsors to begin submitting label revisions. Practitioners working with food animal operations should prepare for eventual changes to approved use conditions.
Official Sources
- Federal Register: 91 FR 6855 (February 13, 2026)
- Docket: FDA-2023-D-2925
- Agency: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
For continuing education on antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practice, explore VetOnIt CE’s on-demand courses.
References
- FDA. Final Guidance for Industry #273: Defining Durations of Use for Approved Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs Fed to Food-Producing Animals. Federal Register 91 FR 6855. February 13, 2026.
- FDA Docket FDA-2023-D-2925.