Covance

Why Animal Research is Important

Animal research is required by law to bring life saving drugs to the market. The FDA requires this research as part of conducting pre-clinical testing.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/about/smallbiz/faq.htm#pre-clinical%20studies?
Animal research has contributed to nearly every major advance in human and veterinary medicine during the past century.
Without animal studies, efforts by health care providers to prevent and treat diseases, and reduce pain and suffering, would be severely limited.
The use of testing in animals has resulted in finding medicines to successfully treat diseases such as tuberculosis, macular degeneration, asthma, meningitis, breast cancer and Parkinson's disease.
We understand that the use of animals for medical research is a sensitive issue, and we take this responsibility seriously. As part of Covance's Code of Conduct, we always look for alternative methods to animal research where appropriate. However, while it is true some research can be done using computer models and tissue cultures, these procedures alone cannot identify how a living being will react to a drug or therapy that may save millions of human lives.

Today, even the most sophisticated technology cannot mimic the complicated interactions among cells, tissues and organs that occur in humans and animals. Scientists must understand these interactions before introducing a new treatment or substance into humans.
Research results from animals also provide the information necessary to design human trials that must be completed for legal approval of new devices, drugs or procedures.
Animal research helps gauge how a new drug or procedure will affect a whole biological system before using it on humans. This is critical for scientific as well as ethical reasons.
As the Foundation for Biomedical Research stated, "Physicians and researchers overwhelmingly agree that animal systems provide invaluable and irreplaceable insights into human systems. The essential need for animal research is recognized and supported by medical associations and health agencies around the world." To learn more of the medical testimonials and milestones in medical research, please visit the Foundation for Biomedical Research website at www.fbresearch.org.