More Good News for Animal Drugs for Minor Species – MUMS Grants Now Available for New Drug Development

By Susan J. Matthees –

Last week, FDA announced a new grant program available to help support the development of new animal drugs to treat minor species or minor disease in major species (horses, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, cattle and pig).  The Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004 amended the FDC Act to establish a grant program “to assist in defraying the costs of qualified safety and effectiveness testing expenses and manufacturing expenses incurred in connection with the development of designated new animal drugs.”  FDA finalized the implementing regulations in July 2007 and in March 2009, Congress appropriated $750,000 for MUMS grants for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009.
    
FDA announced that grants will be available for up to $50,000 per year for up to 2 years for routine studies and up to $100,000 per year for up to 2 years for studies of unusual complexity, duration or size.  Interested parties can get a Request for Applications at Research Project Grant (R01) and must submit the application to Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/) by July 1, 2009.