Animals Behind Top Drugs

Are you taking a prescription medicine?

Because animal research and testing were behind almost every prescription medicine available today.

Animal testing is necessary for understanding the safety and proper dosages of new medicines and treatments. If researchers find that a drug is safe and effective through animal testing, they can begin testing it in small groups of people and then larger groups of people. Human and animal testing is required by law before a drug can be approved. However, for safety reasons The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires animal testing before there can be clinical drug trials in people. It would be dangerous for scientists to test drugs on humans before making sure they are safe. So, animal research and testing is an important first step. Learn more about which lab animals have contributed to the most common prescription drugs in the chart below.

What about the medications that vets prescribe for pets? Indeed, they were developed and tested with animals, too! Learn more about how dogs and cats have benefited from drugs used to treat anxiety, arthritis, heartworm, and more.