Medicine regulator explores reducing dependence on animals for drug trials

Activists and organisations like Peta have been opposing animal testing practices, raising concerns over animal welfare and pushed for alternative methods

The medicine regulator of India, The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization is exploring ways to reduce its reliance on animal studies in drug trials, marking a shift towards a global trend driven by ethical and scientific reasons.  

 

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is considering tweaking the existing framework but a decision on this issue may not come anytime soon. 

 

Speaking on the matter, an official said that while fully eliminating the current model may not be feasible, the goal is to reduce dependence on animal testing. Animal testing is an established practice within the pre-clinical research field. It is a stage connecting the laboratory-based researches within the more advanced stage of human trials. 

 

Mice or rats are among the most common species used for animal testing purposes, while larger mammals follow later, making it a two-step process typically. However, activists and organisations like Peta have been opposing this practice, raising concerns over animal welfare and pushing for alternative testing practices. 

 

According to Peta, more than 110 million mice, rats, frogs, dogs among other animals are killed annually in US laboratories alone. These animals are subjected to practices like cosmetic testing, food, drugs, and inhaling toxic fumes etc, the organisation said.

 

The majority of animal experiments do not contribute to improving human health, and the value of the role that animal experimentation plays in most medical advances is questionable, Peta said. 

 

The Indian govt official told the Hindustan Times that consideration of the policy revision is still at a nascent stage and there will be deliberations on what alternative modes are going to be introduced before discarding or reducing the dependence on animals. In India, it is prohibited to use animals for testing products like soaps and detergents.