Commission Directive 2009/9/ECShow full title

A. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE PARTICULARS OF THE CONSTITUENTS

1. Qualitative particulars

“Qualitative particulars” of all the constituents of the medicinal product shall mean the designation or description of:

• the active substance(s),

• the constituents of the excipients, whatever their nature or the quantity used, including colouring matter, preservatives, adjuvants, stabilisers, thickeners, emulsifiers, flavouring and aromatic substances,

• the constituents, intended to be ingested or otherwise administered to animals, of the outer covering of the veterinary medicinal products, such as capsules, gelatine capsules.

These particulars shall be supplemented by any relevant data concerning the immediate packaging and if relevant the secondary packaging and, where appropriate, its manner of closure, together with details of devices with which the medicinal product will be used or administered and which will be supplied with the medicinal product.

2. Usual terminology

The usual terminology to be used in describing the constituents of veterinary medicinal products means, notwithstanding the application of the other provisions of Article 12(3)(c):

• in respect of constituents which appear in the European Pharmacopoeia or, failing this, in the national pharmacopoeia of one of the Member States, the main title at the head of the monograph in question, with reference to the pharmacopoeia concerned,

• in respect of other constituents, the international non-proprietary name (INN) recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which may be accompanied by another non-proprietary name, or, failing these, the exact scientific designation; constituents not having an international non-proprietary name or an exact scientific designation shall be described by a statement of how and from what they were prepared, supplemented, where appropriate, by any other relevant details,

• in respect of colouring matter, designation by the “E” code assigned to them by Council Directive 78/25/EEC(1).

3. Quantitative particulars

3.1. In order to give “quantitative particulars” of all the active substances of the veterinary medicinal products, it is necessary, depending on the pharmaceutical form concerned, to specify the mass, or the number of units of biological activity, either per dosage-unit or per unit of mass or volume, of each active substance.

Units of biological activity shall be used for substances, which cannot be defined chemically. Where an International Unit of biological activity has been defined by the World Health Organisation, this shall be used. Where no International Unit has been defined, the units of biological activity shall be expressed in such a way as to provide unambiguous information on the activity of the substances by using where applicable the European Pharmacopoeia Units.

Whenever possible, biological activity per units of mass or volume shall be indicated. This information shall be supplemented:

• in respect of single-dose preparations, by the mass or units of biological activity of each active substance in the unit container, taking into account the usable volume of the product, after reconstitution, where appropriate,

• in respect of veterinary medicinal products to be administered by drops, by the mass or units of biological activity of each active substance contained per drop or contained in the number of drops corresponding to 1 ml or 1 g of the preparation,

• in respect of syrups, emulsions, granular preparations and other pharmaceutical forms to be administered in measured quantities, by the mass or units of biological activity of each active substance per measured quantity.

3.2. Active substances present in the form of compounds or derivatives shall be described quantitatively by their total mass, and if necessary or relevant, by the mass of the active entity or entities of the molecule.

3.3. For veterinary medicinal products containing an active substance which is the subject of an application for marketing authorisation in any Member State for the first time, the quantitative statement of an active substance which is a salt or hydrate shall be systematically expressed in terms of the mass of the active entity or entities in the molecule. All subsequently authorised veterinary medicinal products in the Member States shall have their quantitative composition stated in the same way for the same active substance.

4. Development pharmaceutics

An explanation shall be provided with regard to the choice of composition, constituents, immediate packaging, possible further packaging, outer packaging if relevant, the intended function of the excipients in the finished product and the method of manufacture of the finished product. This explanation shall be supported by scientific data on development pharmaceutics. The overage, with justification thereof, shall be stated. The microbiological characteristics (microbiological purity and antimicrobial activity) and usage instructions shall be proven to be appropriate for the intended use of the veterinary medicinal product as specified in the marketing authorisation application dossier.

(1)

OJ L 11, 14.1.1978, p. 18.