FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

Medications and Animal Testing

Montana
Community Member

Hey there, how are you all?

I was just wondering if anybody here knew what level of animal testing goes on with medications? I'm open to trialling medications but am anxious regarding supporting an industry that is involved in animal cruelty...

Kind regards,

Montana....

5 Replies 5

Peppermintbach
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Montana,

I think it’s wonderful that you care so much about animals 🙂

I don’t profess to be hugely knowledgeable when it comes to meds and animal testing. I’m still figuring a lot of it out...

But I still hope it’s okay if I give you a couple of small suggestions. I think perhaps a good starting point is to look up the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the meds that you’re interested in to find out about their animal testing policies.

Then maybe the next step could be to try to research legislation regarding the manufacture and distribution of meds in different Australian states e.g. see if there’s any legislation that requires mandatory animal testing on certain meds.

I don’t know if you will find my little ideas helpful or not, but I thought that I would try to help anyway.

Kind and caring thoughts,

Pepper

No doubt, Pepper.

I did do a little looking into a recently cleared medication in Australia and noticed they had tested it on cats, mice, rats and dogs. At the very least at least on rats and dogs. They apparently "breed the dogs" for testing but I don't know, it sounds a bit wild to me. I'm not sure how it can be illegal to be cruel to animals but then be legal to test medications on such a wide variety of creatures without any kind of governing body disallowing it...

Kind regards, Montana...

Hi Montana,

I feel that that is very disturbing and sad. I get what you’re saying about double standards in our treatment of non-human animals ...

Kind and caring thoughts,

Pepper

romantic_thi3f
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi Montana,

Unfortunately yes - most medications are tested on animals.

From what I've seen/heard/read, for drugs to be approved they need to go through numerous drug trials, with most of these trials starting with animals.

It is sad, but the regulations for testing on animals in Australia is not like what we see in the media for testing on animals for things like cosmetics (like the PETA portrayal). Although I can't find the website, there are ethical guidelines for animal testing here that companies have to adhere to by law.

I personally take medication even knowing this, because the benefits far outweigh it. While we can make choices regarding SSRI's and anti-anxiety medication, it's so much harder for things like anti-epileptic medication or antibiotics. I hope to somewhat 'compensate' for it in the other choices I make, like cosmetics.

I hope that whatever you decide, you are able to put yourself first even if it is a conflicted decision.

Well wouldn't any normal human being stop right at "starting with animals"? Ok, maybe there is a better way for this to work? If we are using cruelty to other "living things" as a portal to readdress the cruelty our minds display towards ourselves, would we not, or could we not, be actually effectualising the problem itself recurrent?

 

This is the list of studies performed for the medication I discussed above which is a recent anti-depressant so these tests are being conducted. We may not do them here but we are allowing ourselves as a country to leave ourself open to drugs that have allowed themselves to be tested this way. Or at least as products. Surely there is another way...

 

1. Study 10950: Renal function in saline loaded rats
2. Study 11468 (146-855; 356/240): Rat micronucleus study
3. Study LBK0202 (11688): Mouse carcinogenicity study
4. Study LBK0201 (11689): Rat carcinogenicity study
5. Study LBK0240 (11682): Rat fertility and early embryonic development study
6. Study LBK0153 (10144): Rat embryofoetal development study
7. Study LBK0276 (12392): Pre/postnatal development study
8. Study LBK0256 (12685): Dose range finding study in juvenile rats
9. Study LBK0251 (12592): Toxicity study in juvenile rats
10. Study 12475: Effect on Bezold-Jarisch reflex in anaesthetised rats
11. Study LBK/150 (11013): 26 week rat study, and
12. Study LBK/156 (10892): 52 week dog study

 

The benefits may far outweight not taking them. But the benefits of not subjecting listless animals to cruelty or testing may reward you in the same sense. Maybe it's time the psychiatrists took a step back from their microscopes and found a more productive way to market their expensive pens....

 

I've been in hospitals and the way they treat human beings is horrible. It's cold and clinical and my understanding is that psychiatry is an unproven science or psience. It's cold placebo movement based termed ideology. It works, yes. But not for the reasons they believe. It's not grounded. It's up in the air.

 

If I purchase my "brave wings" with money cruelly earned rule of law or casual engagement would have it that they are clipped. I don't agree with it. People make money from it. It works for some people. Maybe it shouldn't. Psychiatrists are always going to fight to keep their jobs though. Maybe they need to class up a little..

 

To quote Black Sabbath, "I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to die"...