On Aug. 2, 2004, the U.S. Congress passed the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act to encourage the development of treatments for species that would otherwise attract little interest in the development of veterinary therapies.

The law was intended to make more medications legally available to veterinarians and animal owners for the treatment of minor animal species and uncommon diseases in the major animal species.

This law provided innovative ways to bring products to market for these small populations and is designed to help pharmaceutical companies overcome the financial roadblocks they face in providing limited-demand animal drugs