The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, as a standing member of VICH, the international body coordinating technical requirements for registering veterinary medicinal products, has opened a public consultation on a revised guideline. The draft covers validation of analytical methods used in residue depletion studies of veterinary drugs in food-producing animals, known as VICH Guideline 49.

The draft document has been published, and the consultation is open until 25 April 2027. The directorate asks that comments relate specifically to this guideline, and says they may address either the general approach outlined or the actual text.

Comments can be sent by email to vichcomments@vmd.gov.uk. The directorate says it will compile and submit all comments to the relevant VICH expert working group for consideration, and that it is not able to respond to questions or comments directly. According to the source, published on 2 November 2026, the consultation was opened that day.