The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 allows drugmakers to use more alternatives to animals when evaluating the safety and efficacy of experimental drugs, but most alternatives are themselves still experimental, and animal research will remain the gold standard for understanding how drugs affect complex biological systems, says veterinarian B. Taylor Bennett, senior scientific adviser for the National Association for Biomedical Research. Many people don’t realize that great strides have already been made to reduce the number of animals needed for biomedical research, and new techniques and treatments enable scientists to minimize animal distress, Dr. Bennett says.
