Two regimes, one year: how China and the EU authorised pet veterinary drugs in 2026
In a single calendar year — 2026 — two very different veterinary-drug systems produced two very different kinds of paper. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MOA) issued a rapid sequence of new-veterinary-drug announcements, each one adding domestic products to the pet-pharmaceutical catalogue. The EU's European Medicines Agency (EMA) published a single machine-generated spreadsheet — the "medicines-output" dataset — capturing every centrally authorised medicine, veterinary included, as of 20/07/2026. Neither regime was trying to mirror the other. Read side by side, though, they let an owner or a clinician see the same therapeutic need met by two opposite regulatory logics: China racing to register new molecules, the EU recording a frozen snapshot of marketing-authorisation status across hundreds of codes.
This article lines up the two regimes, threads in the Canadian market-authorisation (DIN) labels that show what "approved" looks like once a product is actually on the shelf, and closes the loop to the safety leg — the adverse-reaction language that travels inside the Chinese package inserts.
China: a 2026 wave of new veterinary-drug certificates
China's 2026 pet-pharmaceutical expansion is documented across four consecutive MOA announcements — No. 1022, 1026, 1038 and 1040 — plus a consolidated timeline topic. The through-line is the annual new-veterinary-drug certificate sequence: cn_moa_pet_veterinary_drugs_timeline_2026 records that pet new-veterinary-drug certificate numbers now cover 50–71 (2026 annual series), a substantial step up in the domestic pet catalogue.
Announcement No. 1022 (2026-05-14) approved 6 new veterinary drugs (cn_moa_ann1022_new_veterinary_drugs_pet), led by an isoxazoline-class entry: Fluolaner is registered as a "new active pharmaceutical ingredient" at certificate 50, Category 2, with a 4-year monitoring period, and Fluolaner Drops at certificate 51, a "pet topical ectoparasiticide". Also in this batch: Pregabalin Oral Solution at certificate 55, "pet analgesic, subject to prescription management", and a Feline Panleukopenia Virus Colloidal-Gold Test Strip as a pet diagnostic reagent.
Announcement No. 1026 (2026-06-04) approved 10 new veterinary drugs (cn_moa_ann1026_new_veterinary_drugs_pet). The milestone is the first registered canine osteoarthritis pain drug: Gralen Tablets at certificate 57 (Category 2, 4 years), indicated for "control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs". Its package insert lists dosing precisely — "2 mg per kg body weight, once daily for dogs" — and the adverse-reaction field: "Common adverse reactions in dogs: vomiting, soft stools, diarrhea and decreased appetite". The same batch registers Canine Distemper Virus Antiserum (certificate 59, pet-use) and Itraconazole Ointment (certificate 65, pet antifungal), plus a Feline Coronavirus + Feline Panleukopenia Virus Duplex Fluorescent PCR Detection Kit.
Announcement No. 1038 (2026-07-06) approved 6 new veterinary drugs (cn_moa_ann1038_new_veterinary_drugs_pet) and delivers the biggest cat-health milestone: the first feline triple inactivated vaccine — Feline Rhinotracheitis + Calicivirus + Panleukopenia Combined Inactivated Vaccine (WX+SH14+0918 Strains) at certificate 70. Its package insert is detailed: per 1.0 ml it contains inactivated FHV-1 (WX strain) at 10⁷·⁰ TCID₅₀, FCV (SH14 strain) at 10⁸·⁰ TCID₅₀, and FPV (0918 strain) at 10⁴·⁰ TCID₅₀; "immunity period is 12 months"; subcutaneous injection from 8 weeks of age. Also notable: Chlorhexidine Acetate Solution at certificate 66, whose insert flags "occasional allergic reactions such as contact dermatitis", and Gabapentin Oral Solution at certificate 71, a pet analgesic under prescription management.
Announcement No. 1040 (2026-07-10) covers the import side (cn_moa_ann1040_import_veterinary_drugs_pet): 3 imported registrations, 3 re-registrations, 1 change. The pet-relevant one is the Rabies Vaccine, Killed Virus (Strain SVR-289), import certificate (2026) Foreign Vet-Drug Certificate No. 09, manufactured by Zoetis Inc., Lincoln, USA, valid 2026.07.10 — 2031.07.09 — an initial registration of an imported companion-animal biological.
A predecessor topic, cn_moa_bulletin_202509_veterinary_drug_overview (MOA Gazette 2025 No. 9, Serial No. 264), shows the runway: Announcement No. 920 (2025-06-20) already approved Gabapentin Tablets at certificate No. 65, whose research units include Mao Haizi Animal Health (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., a pet-pharmaceutical company. The same topic explicitly notes that Gabapentin Tablets (920, cert 65) "reappear in updated formulation as Gabapentin Oral Solution, certificate No. 71 in Announcement 1038 (2026)" — continuous refinement of a pet-specific formulation. That gazette issue also anchors the residue-detection safety net: Announcement No. 906 establishes 33 national food-safety standard methods for veterinary drug residue detection.
The EU: one dataset, classified by ATCvet
The EU picture is captured by eu_ema_medicines_dataset_overview. The EMA "medicines-output" XLSX, generated 20/07/2026 - 18:00 CET, spans 2,714 data rows; 393 entries are classified as Veterinary. Within the veterinary subset the species field isolates companion-animal products: Dogs (21 entries), Cats (11 entries), Dogs;Cats (4 entries), Horses (5 entries) and combination entries — "totalling approximately 53 entries explicitly targeting dogs, cats, or horses". The dataset uses the ATCvet classification (Q + Letter + 2 digits + 2 digits).
The therapeutic-area topics then slice that 53-entry companion-animal world:
- Antiparasitics (QP) —
eu_ema_qp_antiparasitics_pet: Comfortis (spinosad, Dogs;Cats), Activyl Tick Plus (indoxacarb;permethrin, Dogs), ProMeris (metaflumizone, Cats), ProMeris Duo (metaflumizone;amitraz, Dogs), Certifect (fipronil/amitraz/(S)-methoprene, Dogs), Cheristin (Cats), Trifexis (spinosad;milbemycin oxime, Dogs). The dominant finding: "Most carry Withdrawn or Application withdrawn status." - Alimentary / metabolism (QA) —
eu_ema_qa_alimentary_pet: Bexatil (bexagliflozin, Cats, Opinion) for feline diabetes; Scovella (velagliflozin, Horses, Opinion); Slentrol (dirlotapide, Dogs, Withdrawn) and Yarvitan (mitratapide, Dogs, Withdrawn) for canine obesity. - Cardiovascular (QC) —
eu_ema_qc_cardiovascular_pet: Spironolactone Ceva (spironolactone, Dogs, Withdrawn) for congestive heart failure, and Lodipressin (amlodipine besilate, Cats, Refused) for feline systemic arterial hypertension. "Both products have a non-Authorised status." - Antiinfectives (QJ) —
eu_ema_qj_antiinfectives_pet: Veraflox (pradofloxacin, Dogs, Refused); Ibaflin (ibafloxacin, Dogs;Cats, Withdrawn); Doxirobe (doxycycline, Dogs, Withdrawn) for periodontal disease. "All QJ pet antiinfectives in the EMA database carry Withdrawn or Refused status." - Dermatology (QD) —
eu_ema_qd_dermatology_pet: Pruban (resocortol butyrate, Dogs, Withdrawn) for hot spots, plus the QP ectoparasiticides above. - Vaccines (QI) —
eu_ema_qi_vaccines_pet: the Nobivac NXT series (HCPChFeLV, HCPFeLV, FeLV) are Cats, Opinion, incorporating "self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technology for FeLV"; CaniLeish (dogs, Withdrawn) and Nobivac Piro (dogs, Withdrawn) for canine parasitic vaccines.
The single most striking pattern: across QP, QJ and most of QD, the EU centrally authorised pet products carry Withdrawn / Application-withdrawn / Refused status — a statement about the lifecycle of those specific EMA marketing-authorisation numbers (many such molecules remain authorised nationally instead), and a sharp contrast with what a shopper sees marketed in Canada.
Canada: what "authorised and on the shelf" looks like
The seven Health Canada DPD labels (approval_label_bravecto, approval_label_nexgard, approval_label_simparica, approval_label_revolution, approval_label_metacam, approval_label_convenia, approval_label_vetmedin) show active Canadian market authorisations — each a verbatim DPD row:
- BRAVECTO —
Marketed,02425068,Dogs,INTERVET CANADA CORP,...,FLURALANER,112.5 MG. Note the molecule: fluralaner — the same INN China registered as a brand-new active ingredient in Announcement 1022 (certificate 50). One molecule, two regimes: China's 2026 new domestic registration versus Canada's already-Marketed DIN. - NEXGARD —
Marketed,02427435,Dogs,BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ANIMAL HEALTH CANADA INC.,...,AFOXOLANER,11.3 MG(ectoparasiticide, oral). - SIMPARICA —
Marketed,02452014,Dogs,ZOETIS CANADA INC,...,SAROLANER,5 MG(ectoparasiticide, oral). - REVOLUTION —
Marketed,02242045,Dogs,ZOETIS CANADA INC,...,SELAMECTIN,240 MG / 2 ML. - METACAM —
Marketed,02318997,Dogs,BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ANIMAL HEALTH CANADA INC.,...,MELOXICAM,1 MG(NSAID). - CONVENIA —
Marketed,02295628,Dogs+Cats,ZOETIS CANADA INC,...,CEFOVECIN (CEFOVECIN SODIUM),80 MG / ML(3rd-gen cephalosporin antibiotic). - VETMEDIN —
Marketed,02248158,Dogs,BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ANIMAL HEALTH CANADA INC.,...,PIMOBENDAN,2.5 MG(cardiac).
The full chain, regime by regime
Lay the three layers over each other and the "approve → market → react" loop becomes visible:
- Approval. China issues new-veterinary-drug certificates with attached package inserts that already name adverse reactions — chlorhexidine's "contact dermatitis", Gralen's "vomiting, soft stools, diarrhea and decreased appetite". The EU records ATCvet-coded marketing-authorisation status, where the companion-animal ectoparasiticide and antiinfective entries are predominantly Withdrawn/Refused.
- Market authorisation. Canada's DPD rows confirm which molecules are actively Marketed (fluralaner, afoxolaner, sarolaner, selamectin, meloxicam, cefovecin, pimobendan) — and at what strength per species.
- Cross-regime meeting points. Fluralaner is the cleanest bridge: a 2026 new Chinese active (Ann 1022, cert 50) is already a marketed Canadian product (BRAVECTO, 112.5 MG). For cardiac care, Canada markets pimobendan (VETMEDIN) for dogs, while the EU QC topic documents only spironolactone (dogs, Withdrawn) and amlodipine (cats, Refused) — the EU centralised list simply does not carry pimobendan in this slice. For infection, Canada markets the 3rd-gen cephalosporin cefovecin (CONVENIA, Dogs+Cats), broadening the antiinfective toolkit beyond the EU QJ fluoroquinolone/doxycycline entries. For cat vaccines, both regimes are advancing: China's first feline triple inactivated vaccine (Ann 1038, cert 70) parallels the EU's Nobivac NXT saRNA FeLV vaccines under Opinion status.
Two caveats keep the comparison honest. First, "Withdrawn" in the EMA dataset marks the fate of a centralised marketing authorisation number, not necessarily national availability — the regimes use different authorisation mechanisms, so a withdrawn EMA entry and a marketed Canadian DIN are not strictly the same product state. Second, the DPD labels themselves contain only the registration row; full indications, contraindications and dosing "reside in the product monograph, which is not contained in the DPD registration CSV" — so the label tells you a product is authorised and at what strength, not how to use it. Systematic post-market adverse-event surveillance of these molecules is tracked in separate adverse-event datasets and is outside the scope of the approval and label topics used here.
Sources
Every figure above is a verbatim substring of one of the following source topics (all confirmed present on disk):
cn_moa_ann1022_new_veterinary_drugs_pet— Ann 1022 (2026-05-14); Fluolaner cert 50 Cat 2 4yr; Fluolaner Drops cert 51; Pregabalin cert 55; Feline Panleukopenia colloidal-gold strip.cn_moa_ann1026_new_veterinary_drugs_pet— Ann 1026 (2026-06-04); Gralen Tablets cert 57 (canine OA, 2 mg/kg once daily; ADR vomiting/soft stools/diarrhea/decreased appetite); Canine Distemper Antiserum cert 59; Itraconazole Ointment cert 65; FCoV+FPV duplex PCR kit.cn_moa_ann1038_new_veterinary_drugs_pet— Ann 1038 (2026-07-06); feline triple inactivated vaccine cert 70 (FHV-1 10⁷·⁰ / FCV 10⁸·⁰ / FPV 10⁴·⁰ TCID₅₀, 12-month immunity); Chlorhexidine cert 66 (contact dermatitis ADR); Gabapentin Oral Solution cert 71.cn_moa_ann1040_import_veterinary_drugs_pet— Ann 1040 (2026-07-10); Rabies Vaccine SVR-289 import cert (2026) Foreign Vet-Drug Certificate No. 09, Zoetis Lincoln USA, valid 2026.07.10–2031.07.09.cn_moa_pet_veterinary_drugs_timeline_2026— consolidated timeline; pet cert numbers 50–71; first feline triple vaccine, first companion-animal neuro/pain drugs, first canine OA drug.cn_moa_bulletin_202509_veterinary_drug_overview— Gazette 2025 No.9 (Serial 264); Ann 920 Gabapentin Tablets cert 65 (Mao Haizi Animal Health); Gabapentin Tablets→Oral Solution link; 33 residue-detection national standards (Ann 906).eu_ema_medicines_dataset_overview— 2,714 rows; 393 Veterinary; ~53 companion-animal entries; ATCvet classification; dataset generated 20/07/2026.eu_ema_qp_antiparasitics_pet— QP pet ectoparasiticides; most Withdrawn / Application withdrawn.eu_ema_qa_alimentary_pet— Bexatil (cats, Opinion), Scovella (horses, Opinion), Slentrol & Yarvitan (dogs, Withdrawn).eu_ema_qc_cardiovascular_pet— Spironolactone Ceva (dogs, Withdrawn), Lodipressin/amlodipine (cats, Refused); both non-authorised.eu_ema_qj_antiinfectives_pet— Veraflox (Refused), Ibaflin & Doxirobe (Withdrawn); all Withdrawn/Refused.eu_ema_qd_dermatology_pet— Pruban (dogs, Withdrawn) for hot spots; QP ectoparasiticides.eu_ema_qi_vaccines_pet— Nobivac NXT saRNA FeLV series (cats, Opinion); CaniLeish & Nobivac Piro (dogs, Withdrawn).approval_label_bravecto— Marketed, 02425068, Dogs, FLURALANER 112.5 MG.approval_label_nexgard— Marketed, 02427435, Dogs, AFOXOLANER 11.3 MG.approval_label_simparica— Marketed, 02452014, Dogs, SAROLANER 5 MG.approval_label_revolution— Marketed, 02242045, Dogs, SELAMECTIN 240 MG / 2 ML.approval_label_metacam— Marketed, 02318997, Dogs, MELOXICAM 1 MG.approval_label_convenia— Marketed, 02295628, Dogs+Cats, CEFOVECIN (CEFOVECIN SODIUM) 80 MG / ML.approval_label_vetmedin— Marketed, 02248158, Dogs, PIMOBENDAN 2.5 MG.