The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2008

Duration and validity of a marketing authorisation

32.—(1) A marketing authorisation is initially valid for five years.

(2) The authorisation may be renewed after five years on the basis of a re-evaluation of the risk-benefit balance.

(3) An application for renewal must be made at least six months, and not more than nine months, before the marketing authorisation ceases to be valid.

(4) An applicant who applies for the renewal of the marketing authorisation must enclose a list of all documents concerning the product that the applicant has submitted to the Secretary of State since the marketing authorisation was granted.

(5) The Secretary of State may require the applicant to provide a copy of any of the listed documents at any time.

(6) Once renewed, the marketing authorisation is valid indefinitely unless, within five years of the renewal, the Secretary of State notifies the holder, on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, that the authorisation will cease to be valid five years from the first renewal unless the holder applies for a further renewal.

(7) The further renewal is not time-limited.

(8) Any marketing authorisation granted under these Regulations that is not followed within three years of its granting by the actual placing on the market of the authorised veterinary medicinal product in the United Kingdom ceases to be valid.

(9) When a veterinary medicinal product authorised under these Regulations and previously placed on the market in the United Kingdom is not present on the market in the United Kingdom for a period of three consecutive years, its marketing authorisation ceases to be valid.

(10) The Secretary of State may, on human or animal health grounds, grant exemptions from sub-paragraphs (8) and (9).