The Ministry of Education has transmitted to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture the stipulation that academic research institutions must apply for and receive authorization from the agency prior to manufacturing trial samples of veterinary drugs. According to Article 3 of the Veterinary Drugs Control Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Act"), veterinary drugs as defined by the Act encompass the following categories of active ingredients, preparations, and finished products: (1) Biological drugs manufactured based on the principles of microbiology, immunology, or molecular biology, exclusively intended for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases. (2) Antibiotics solely designated for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases. (3) Diagnostic agents specifically designated by the central competent authority for the diagnosis of animal diseases. (4) Drugs other than those mentioned in the preceding three categories, exclusively intended for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases, or for promoting or regulating their physiological functions.