FOI release

FOI2026/00512 - VMD activities with Librela, Solensia, Lenivia + Portela

Published 10 June 2026

1. Your request

I request the following information relating to the activities of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate over the last ten years.

1. Previous employment with Zoetis, past 13 years
   Please state:
   - 1) The number of individuals employed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate during this period who previously worked for Zoetis or any of its subsidiaries.
   - 2) Of those individuals, how many remain employed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate at the present time.

2. Previous employment with other veterinary pharmaceutical companies
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of individuals employed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate during this period who previously worked for other veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturers.
   - 2) The names of those companies.
   - 3) Of those individuals, how many remain employed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate at present.

3. Financial interests and shareholdings
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of Veterinary Medicines Directorate staff who declared holding shares or other financial interests in veterinary pharmaceutical companies while employed by the VMD.
   - 2) The names of the companies concerned.
   - 3) The number of staff who previously worked for veterinary pharmaceutical companies and who also declared shareholdings or other financial interests in those companies while employed by the VMD.

4. Conflicts of interest
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of Veterinary Medicines Directorate staff who declared conflicts of interest relating to veterinary pharmaceutical companies.
   - 2) The number of occasions where staff members were recused from regulatory decision-making due to conflicts of interest involving veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturers.
   - 3) Confirmation of whether any staff who previously worked for veterinary pharmaceutical companies participated in regulatory decisions involving products manufactured by those same companies.

5. Secondments and consultancy work
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of individuals seconded to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate from veterinary pharmaceutical companies.
   - 2) The names of those companies.
   - 3) The roles or departments within the VMD in which those individuals worked.
   - 4) The number of VMD staff who declared consultancy, advisory, or expert roles with veterinary pharmaceutical companies.
   - 5) The names of the companies concerned.

6. Staff leaving the VMD to work for veterinary pharmaceutical companies
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of Veterinary Medicines Directorate staff who left the VMD to take employment with veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturers.
   - 2) The names of the companies concerned.
   - 3) Whether post-employment restrictions or “cooling-off” periods were applied in those cases.

7. Conflict-of-interest policies
   Please provide copies of:
   - 1) Veterinary Medicines Directorate policies governing declarations of interest and conflicts of interest.
   - 2) Any policies relating to staff movement between the VMD and pharmaceutical companies.

8. Regulatory involvement with Zoetis products
   Please confirm whether any staff who previously worked for Zoetis were involved in assessment, approval, safety monitoring, or regulatory review of Zoetis products, including but not limited to:
   * Librela
   * Solensia
   * Lenivia
   * Portela

Please confirm whether those individuals declared conflicts of interest or were recused from such regulatory decisions.

1. Librela, Solensia, Lenivia, Portela adverse event reports
   Please provide:
   - 1) The total number of adverse event reports received by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate relating to Librela, Solensia + Portela (N Ireland).
   - 2) A year-by-year breakdown of those reports.

2. Reported deaths following Librela, Solensia + Portela administration
   Please provide:
   - 1) The total number of reports received by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate where the death of a dog or cat was reported following administration of Librela, Solensia, Portela.
   - 2) A year-by-year breakdown of those reports.
   - 4) Where available, a summary of the clinical signs or reported causes associated with these deaths.

3. Serious adverse events
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of reports classified as serious adverse events relating to Librela, Solensia + Portela.
   - 2) A breakdown of the types of serious adverse events recorded.

4. Causality assessments
   Please provide the number of adverse event reports where the relationship to Librela, Solensia, Portela was assessed as:
   * Probable
   * Possible
   * Unlikely
   * Unclassifiable.

5. Investigations
   Please provide:
   - 1) The number of cases where the Veterinary Medicines Directorate initiated a formal investigation following an adverse event report relating to Librela, Solensia, Portela.
   - 2) The number of cases where additional information was requested from the marketing authorisation holder, Zoetis.

6. Internal safety assessments and reviews
   Please provide copies of:
   - 1) Internal risk assessments, pharmacovigilance reviews, or safety evaluations conducted by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate relating to Librela, Solensia, Portela.
   - 2) Any formal reassessment of the risk-benefit profile of Librela, Solensia, Portela since authorisation.

7. Correspondence and meeting records
   Please provide:
   - 1)Correspondence between the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Zoetis relating to safety concerns, adverse events, or pharmacovigilance data for Librela, Solensia, Portela .
   - 2) Minutes or records of meetings where Librela, Solensia, Portela safety concerns or adverse event data were discussed.
   - 3) Any meeting records between the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Zoetis where Librela, Solensia, Portela safety was discussed.

8. Government communications
   Please provide:
   - 1) Any briefing notes, reports, or correspondence prepared by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for UK government ministers or departments relating to Librela, Solensia, Portela safety.
   - 2) Any internal communications discussing concerns about Librela, Solensia, Portela safety or adverse event reports.

2. Our reply

We are refusing your request under section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, on the basis that the request is vexatious.

FOIA does not require public authorities to comply with a request where doing so would impose a disproportionate or unjustified burden, or where the request forms part of a pattern of requests that collectively create an excessive strain on resources. The ICO explains that vexatious requests are those that have “the potential to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation or distress” to a public authority, emphasising that the purpose of section 14 is to prevent public resources being “squandered on disproportionate use of FOIA”.

This request is part of a wider pattern of very broad and highly detailed requests submitted by the same requester group over an extended period, seeking extensive operational, regulatory and staff‑related data.

ICO guidance confirms that the context and history of previous related requests is relevant when deciding whether a request is vexatious, and that repeated or overlapping requests can demonstrate an unreasonable burden on the authority’s resources.

Where possible, we have provided relevant information that is already, or will be, publicly available or in response to previous FOIs requests. Given the limited additional public value that further disclosure would provide, and the disproportionate resource impact of processing an expansive request of this nature, maintaining the refusal under section 14(1) is appropriate and necessary to protect the organisation from unreasonable use of FOIA resources.

Given the volume and nature of previous requests on this subject, further requests of a similar nature are likely to be considered vexatious under Section 14(1). However, each request will be considered individually in line with FOIA.

2.1 Requests relating to declarations and conflicts of interests

Attached is a copy of our response to a previous FOI request FOI2026/00266 relating to this which includes our policies and guidance for declaring interests.

2.2 Requests relating to reported suspected adverse events

We have answered many FOI requests of this nature. These will be published on our disclosure log: Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK in due course.

On 16 February 2026, we published an in-depth assessment of adverse event reports relating to Librela, covering death, arthritis progression, and human exposure. This sets out our findings and the evidence base for our current position in full, and we would encourage you to read this and a statement from our Director of Authorisations on this assessment:

In-depth assessment of selected adverse events for ‘Librela Solution for Injection for Dogs’ - GOV.UK

Regulator completes in-depth assessment of osteoarthritis pain relief injections for dogs - GOV.UK

2.3 Requests relating to internal reviews and communications

Attached is a copy of our response to previous FOI requests FOI2025/00333 and FOI2026/00108 which explains the approval process and post authorisation surveillance.  You may also find this information useful: Further information on Post authorisation monitoring - Pharmacovigilance - GOV.UK.

Copy of FOI2025/00333 response

Copy of FOI2026/00108 response