July 21, 2017

New plans to modernize drug development at the FDA must include an end to required animal testing.

The new Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans for streamlining and improving the costly and cumbersome drug approval process.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb was sworn in on May 11, 2017 and has unveiled his Innovation Initiative to incorporate new technologies like computer models and simulations for clinical trials to develop and evaluate new drugs and medical devices.

These are important steps to revamp the outdated drug development process, but the one thing he hasn’t addressed is ending FDA’s requirement for animal testing.

Fill in he form above to send your polite letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb letting him know that if the FDA truly wants to modernize the drug development process, it’s time to remove the requirement for scientists to submit animal data.

Or you can email directly to Commissioner Scott Gottlieb at [email protected].

Currently researchers who work to develop drugs are required to submit results from animal tests to apply for an Investigational New Drug (IND).

This means that if scientists working with non-animal methods want to develop a new drug, they must still carry out tests on animals. This policy makes it impossible for emerging and innovative research methods to remain free of animal testing.

Dr. Gottlieb stated at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate that “science will prevail” at the FDA under his direction. We know that a large body of scientific evidence points to the lack of translation from animal tests to human medicine, demonstrated by the staggering 95% failure rate of new drugs to prove safe and effective.

Tell Commissioner Gottlieb that as long as FDA continues to require animal tests, future work in drug development and safety testing will remain permanently hindered by weak translation from animal data.

Thank you for taking action for animals in labs!

Citizens for Alternatives to Animal Research (CAARE), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, established to highlight and promote research without animals.

Your donation helps us carry out our mission to speak up for animals in laboratories, and to end animal suffering by disseminating information about the power and progress of research without animals.