Proposed Law Would End ‘Cruel’ Drug Tests On Animals, Cory Booker Says

NEWARK, NJ — The United States is one step closer to eliminating the “cruel practice of unnecessary animal testing,” Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey says.

Last week, Booker – a Newark resident – celebrated the passage of the FDA Modernization Act in the U.S. Senate. Introduced by Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, the proposed federal law has picked up nearly a dozen co-sponsors, including Booker, a Democrat, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent.

Booker said the legislation would prevent “the needless suffering of countless animals,” especially now that experimental drug testing can be done with modern non-animal alternatives that are more “scientifically relevant.”

“This legislation brings us one step closer to eliminating the cruel practice of unnecessary animal testing,” Booker said.

Here’s the problem, according to a statement from Booker’s office:

“In 1938, Congress passed the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, mandating animal toxicity testing. Since then, science and data has shown that in some products, animal testing is a highly inconsistent predictor of toxic responses in humans, all while animal testing on any single pharmaceutical product often requires killing hundreds of animal test subjects. Since then, a number of non-animal tests have been developed that are more predictive of the human response to drugs.”

If it becomes law, here’s what the FDA Modernization Act would do, Booker said:

“[The bill] would end an outdated FDA mandate that required experimental drugs to be tested on animals before they could be used on humans in clinical trials. Specifically, the FDA Modernization Act gives drug sponsors the option to use scientifically rigorous, proven non-animal test methods when they are suitable. Drug sponsors will still be able to use animal testing where appropriate.”

Paul shared Booker's enthusiasm for the proposed federal law.

“The passage of this bipartisan bill is a step toward ending the needless suffering and death of animal test subjects – which I’m glad both Republicans and Democrats can agree needs to end,” Paul said.

The bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits a potential vote in that chamber.

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