Law—Not Science—Impedes Shift to Non-Animal Safety Testing

摘要

Testing products on animals is slowly ending, but there are still some obstacles to completely ending the practice, explains Gary E. Marchant, a professor at the Sandra Day O’ConnorCollege of Law at Arizona State University. He discusses three impediments, including legal barriers from federal regulatory agencies.For decades, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pesticides and other commercial chemicals have dutifully tested their products on rodents or other vertebrate animals tocomply with government safety testing regulations. This long-standing practice is now starting to change.The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that it intends to phase out all mammalian animal testing requirements by 2035. The Food and Drug Administration has alsobeen actively exploring non-animal alternatives to safety testing.