18. The representative of the International Office of Epizootics (OIE) reported that at the end of 1995 an ad hoc Working Group established by the OIE for the purpose of organizing the international harmonization of registration of veterinary drugs agreed to a set of proposals pertinent to the structure, organization, work methods and financing for this structure, known as VICH. The OIE organized the first meeting of the VICH steering committee (Paris, April 1996) under the Chairmanship of OIE, with the Secretariat provided by COMISA. In the short term, it decided to establish five working groups which would consider the following topics: adaptation of ICH Guidelines on Quality and on Safety for Veterinary Medicine; Good Clinical Practice; Efficacy of Antihelmintics, and; Ecotoxicolgy.
19. In the medium term (1997-98), the following items have been selected: pharmacovigilance, target animal safety, tests for immunologic products, design of metabolism and residue kinetics studies, chronic and sub-chronic toxicity and determination of the withholding period.
20. The Committee thanked the representative of OIE for his presentation, and welcomed his offer to present a progress report at its next Session.
