Current Status and Countermeasures of Innovative in Chinese Veterinary Medicine in China: Based on the Research on Approved Products from 2006 to 2024

Since the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of our country fully implemented the "feed ban on antibiotics" policy, the research and approval process of veterinary traditional Chinese medicine has significantly accelerated. A series of innovative veterinary products have been approved for use in animal disease prevention and treatment, promoting the development of green farming. However, at present, the research and application of veterinary traditional Chinese medicine still face key challenges, such as insufficient coverage of target animals (such as ruminants, aquatic animals, and pet medication is scarce), incomplete quality standard system, lack of toxicity evaluation methods, and lack of systematic clinical data, which seriously restrict its modernization and internationalization process. This study systematically analyzed the new veterinary traditional Chinese medicine drugs and preparations approved in China from January 2006 to December 2024, evaluated their research trends, indication distribution, target animal coverage and quality standards, and revealed existing problems and proposed countermeasures to promote the standardization, modernization and internationalization of veterinary traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the "National Veterinary Drug Basic Database" and "Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department Announcements", this study collected approved veterinary traditional Chinese medicine data, conducted a comprehensive analysis from the dimensions of research trends, indications, target animals and formulation innovation, and combined with literature and policies to assess their innovation potential. The study found: (1) The number of research and development has continued to increase, but the target animals were concentrated on pigs and poultry (accounting for > 80%), while ruminants, aquatic animals and pet medication were less than 25%; (2) The indications were mainly respiratory/digestive tract diseases and immune regulation, and antiviral drugs were scarce; (3) The standardization degree of production processes was low, and the quality of raw materials fluctuated greatly; (4) Some innovative products (such as Astragalus polysaccharide injection, Forsythia extract preparations) showed high scientific value, but the overall research level still lagged significantly behind chemical drugs and biological products. Veterinary traditional Chinese medicine had great potential in green and healthy farming, but it needed to overcome the following bottlenecks: (1) strengthen basic research to clarify the pharmacological basis of the drug; (2) establish a full-chain quality control system; (3) expand the target animal range and develop new drugs for anti-viral and metabolic diseases; (4) build toxicity evaluation standards that conform to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine; (5) promote collaborative innovation among industry, academia and research institutions and international standard formulation. By integrating traditional medical theory with modern technology, veterinary traditional Chinese medicine is expected to build a safer and more efficient animal disease prevention and control system, providing a Chinese solution for the global "antibiotic reduction" initiative.