STAT+: FDA plans to phase out animal testing in drugs in what it calls a \u2018paradigm shift\u2019
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In an unexpected move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans this week to reduce \u2014 and possibly replace \u2014 animal testing with other methods for developing certain medicines in a bid to lower R&D costs and, eventually, the prices for prescription drugs.<\/p>\n
The agency will encourage researchers to use computer modeling and artificial intelligence to predict how a drug will perform, as well as organs-on-a-chip, which are miniaturized devices that mimic organs and tissues. And to determine effectiveness, the FDA will begin using existing, real-world safety data from other countries where a drug has already been studied in humans.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor too long, drug manufacturers have performed additional animal testing of drugs that have data in broad human use internationally. This initiative marks a paradigm shift in drug evaluation and holds promise to accelerate cures and meaningful treatments for Americans while reducing animal use,\u201d said FDA Commissioner Martin Makary in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Continue to STAT+ to read the full story\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n