5 Ways Trump’s FDA Can Advance Human Health With Non-Animal Tests

In response to years of scientific and public demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated a commitment to loosen its ties with flawed tests on animals in favor of reliable and human-relevant non-animal tests. The new administration has the opportunity to take decisive action to adopt modern, non-animal test methods that will improve human health and save animals.

Before new chemicals, medical devices, or drugs are brought to market, regulatory agencies such as the FDA require various tests to assess their potential toxicity. For years, PETA scientists have encouraged the FDA to embrace human-relevant testing methods that don’t use animals. Here are five regulatory actions the FDA can immediately take to advance efficient and human-relevant animal-free testing methods:

1. Instead of insisting that manufacturers test sunscreens using unreliable animal tests, embrace modern tools, such as the use of existing human information and non-animal test methods.
2. Replace the decades-old test on animals for assessing fluoride’s ability to fight cavities and bacteria in toothpastes with established non-animal methods.
3. Enact a policy to accept human tissue models to assess the skin irritation potential of medical devices, joining scientists from around the world in replacing the test on rabbits.
4. Ditch testing on animals to identify toxins in shellfish, and replace them with well-established non-animal methods that can better protect human health.
5. Accept the use of human tissue models to evaluate personal lubricant products, instead of the outdated rabbit vaginal irritation test.

From implementing the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, to its Predictive Toxicology Roadmap and approving lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines years faster than the vaccine approval process normally takes, the FDA has started to move away from flawed and misleading tests on animals. The new administration can and must take action to fully embrace modern non-animal technology.

What You Can Do

No matter who holds office, PETA scientists will continue to push for policies that are best for all living beings. Right now, you can join in as we urge the FDA to do right by animals and millions of consumers— tell the FDA to stop pushing companies to conduct tests on animals for sunscreens that have been safely on the market for decades.

Save animals from the FDA’s sunscreen testing requirements!