U.S. drug firms move to bar antibiotic use in livestock growth

By P.J. Huffstutter CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. regulators on Wednesday said that 25 out of 26 drugmakers that sell antibiotics used in livestock feed for growth enhancement have agreed to follow new guidelines that will make it illegal to use their products to create beefier cattle, heftier hogs and other outsized animals. The companies – which include Eli Lilly & Co’s Elanco Animal Health unit, Bayer Healthcare LLC’s animal health division and Zoetis Inc – have agreed to start the process of removing any growth promotion claims on their products’ labeling, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA announced the guidelines in December, as part of an ongoing bid to stem a surge in human resistance to certain antibiotics.