Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
(N/A)
BLACKSBURG,VA 24061
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) program is a chemical food safety program designed to provideup-to-datepharmacokinetic information to veterinarians in order to determine withdrawal times for extralabel drug use in food animalspecies. The program has been in existence for 42 years and is a collaborative effort by pharmacology specialists atthe veterinary colleges at North Carolina State University, University of California, Davis, University of Florida, Kansas StateUniversity - Olathe and Virginia Tech. FARAD has a direct impact on the production of safe foods of animal origin through theprevention and mitigation of violative chemical (drug, pesticide, natural toxins, and environmental contaminant) residues in foodanimalproducts. Each of the five FARAD centers has expertise for delivery of the required information which eliminates redundanciesand allows for collaboration of talents unique to the field of veterinary pharmacokinetics research and related databasemanagement. The primary role of FARAD at Virginia Tech will be to respond to drug residue cases in livestock from food animalveterinarians and extension specialists, and to provide research support that attempts to validate estimated withdrawal intervalsfollowing extralabel drug use. FARAD will also enable Virginia Tech to train new residents in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacologyand strengthen relationships with the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine through resident and student externships.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
80%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
VMCVM Regional Access Center Work Plan: During the 2024-2025project year, the regional center at VMCVM will continue tosupport the essential tasks of the national FARAD program outlined below, provide pharmacokinetic services to allFARAD sites, and continue developing pharmacokinetic model tools that allow FARAD responders to fully utilize publishedstudies toavoid meat and milk violative residues in food animals. The primary focus areas of the VMCVM FARAD component for 2024 -2025are as follows: (1) strengthen the response team in collaboration with NCSU and UC Davis, to provide drug and chemicalresidue management expertise to veterinarians by answering telephone and internet inquiries; (2) collaborate with NCSU, KSUOlathe,UC Davis, and University of Florida, to validate (via LC-MS/MS sample analysis) many of our computational estimates ofa safe withdrawal time.Respond to drug and chemical residue casesThe VMCVM FARAD Regional Access Center will continue in collaboration with NCSU and UC-Davis FARAD Regional AccessCenter to answer residue avoidance inquiries. This service will require the veterinary clinical pharmacology expertise of Dr.Jennifer Davis. This will facilitate the accuracy and timeliness of FARAD's response to as many as 149 cases a week. VMCVMwill also collaborate and contribute to writing timely FARAD Digests that focus on the management of the more common drugresidue scenarios facing food animal veterinarians. We will collaborate in outreach programs to producer groups and veterinaryspecialty groups such as AVMA, AABP, AAVPT. Dr. Davis is the current Secretary of AAVPT and is uniquely positioned toensure continued collaboration between AAVPT and FARAD. The VMCVM also has a long-standing relationship with the FDACenter for Veterinary Medicine through providing externship opportunities for students and potentially FARAD graduatestudents/residents. Our proximity to the FDA facilities is a great advantage in this area.Pharmacokinetic TrialsVMCVM will collaborate with UF, NCSU and UC-Davis to obtain in vivo data to validate FARAD approved withdrawalinterval commendations. This will be accomplished by analysis obtained from in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in food producinganimals to determine detection times of drug in products such as eggs, milk or tissues. VMCVM has a fully equippedPharmacology/Toxicology laboratory that will complement facilities currently in use at NCSU and UC-Davis.
Project Methods
In order to carry out its mission, the FARAD team collates, analyzes and interprets the most up-to-date information and usesthat unique data repository to provide accurate and timely expert advice to assist veterinarians who are faced with situations thatcould cause unsafe chemical residues in human food products. VT will accomplish this by collecting pharmacokinetic data andanalyzing it to validate drug withdrawal times. In addition, FARAD maintains and provides an array of complete informationresources for veterinarians, extension specialists, farmers, regulatory personnel and others who are the stewards of our nation'sexpansive commercial food animal industries and the growing number of small backyard livestock operations. VT willaccomplish this by providing outreach extension to veterinarians and producers via telephone calls in internet inquiries.