FDA’s MUMS Programme Continues to Support Development of Underserved Veterinary Drugs

The FDA’s Minor Use and Minor Species (MUMS) programme continues to provide an important development pathway for veterinary medicines addressing uncommon diseases in major species and diseases affecting minor species.

For FY2027, FDA made grants available for eligible sponsors developing designated MUMS animal drugs. Individual awards can reach $250,000 per year, with qualifying projects eligible for up to $500,000 over two years and certain toxicology projects eligible for up to $750,000 over three years.

The programme covers major species including horses, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens, while also supporting drugs for minor species. FDA says the programme has already provided $8.4 million across 72 studies.

Supported projects have included treatments for parasitic and bacterial diseases in fish, canine cancer and veterinary applications involving horses, pheasants and goats.

Although the FY2027 application deadline has already passed, the programme remains strategically important because it addresses a structural problem in veterinary pharmaceuticals: small patient populations can make commercial drug development economically difficult even when an unmet clinical need exists.

The MUMS framework therefore acts as a bridge between scientific need and commercial viability, particularly in specialty veterinary medicine.