The Secretary shall, at the request of the sponsor intending to submit an application for approval of a new animal drug under section 360b(b)(1) of this title or an application for conditional approval of a new animal drug under section 360ccc of this title, expedite the development and review of such new animal drug if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the new animal drug, alone or in combination with 1 or more other animal drugs, has the potential to prevent or treat a zoonotic disease in animals, including a vector borne-disease, that has the potential to cause serious adverse health consequences for, or serious or life-threatening diseases in, humans.

The sponsor of a new animal drug may request the Secretary to designate a new animal drug described in subsection (a) as a priority zoonotic animal drug. A request for the designation may be made concurrently with, or at any time after, the opening of an investigational new animal drug file under section 360b(j) of this title or the filing of an application under section 360b(b)(1) or 360ccc of this title.