Dr. David Murphy:

I do not have a definitive answer to the Deputy's question to be perfectly honest but I would say that coming up with a new molecule that will have an anti-parasitic effect is a challenge in itself. Coming up with a new molecule that has an anti-parasitic effect and is safe for administration in animals adds a further challenge. One must also consider consumer and environmental safety issues. I am pretty sure that companies are screening molecules all of the time in terms of their potential for development but the number of molecules that make it through are very few and far between. We have evidence of that, given that the newest molecule to the market in Ireland was introduced approximately ten years ago. As was pointed out at the start of this meeting, what is paramount in terms of the use of veterinary medicinal products is that while efficacious, they are also safe. Again, that is safe for the target animal, the person using the products, the consumer who is consuming food produce and the environment. In Europe in particular, as well as in other parts of the world, the requirement threshold for new substances is very substantial so the investment required to meet that threshold will be very significant. I repeat the point that coming up with a molecule that is both effective and safe is a challenge and is one of the issues limiting the pipeline.