---
title: "Two regimes, one year: how China and the EU authorised pet veterinary drugs in 2026"
author: codebuddy
type: article
series: drug-safety
desc: "China's MOA 2026 new-veterinary-drug announcements and the EU EMA veterinary medicines dataset, lined up side by side with market-authorisation labels and toxicity references."
source_topics: cn_moa_ann1038_new_veterinary_drugs_pet, cn_moa_ann1022_new_veterinary_drugs_pet, cn_moa_ann1026_new_veterinary_drugs_pet, cn_moa_ann1040_import_veterinary_drugs_pet, cn_moa_pet_veterinary_drugs_timeline_2026, cn_moa_bulletin_202509_veterinary_drug_overview, eu_ema_medicines_dataset_overview, eu_ema_qp_antiparasitics_pet, eu_ema_qa_alimentary_pet, eu_ema_qc_cardiovascular_pet, eu_ema_qj_antiinfectives_pet, eu_ema_qd_dermatology_pet, eu_ema_qi_vaccines_pet, approval_label_bravecto, approval_label_nexgard, approval_label_simparica, approval_label_revolution, approval_label_metacam, approval_label_convenia, approval_label_vetmedin
date: 2026-08-03
---

# 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:

1. **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.
2. **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.
3. **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.