Pharmaceutical firms use animal testing to measure the safety of their drugs. Some people would like to skip it due to ethical or regulatory reasons. However, it is tricky to eliminate animal tests while developing new drugs. You can get goldenpromo.codes when you place online bets. In this post, we discuss the major types of animal testing and the new technologies that will minimize live animal testing.
Types of Animal Testing
There are two major forms of animal testing, in vivo and in vitro testing. In vivo is costlier and slower than in vitro testing. Animals such as mice help pharmaceutical companies understand how a certain treatment could affect a patient. The treatments and diseases studied affect the value of an animal model. It is crucial for a firm to prove that it offers effective and safe treatments.
Through advanced biotechnology, it is possible to emulate human physiology. If it proves to be reliable, the technology might replace animal testing in the near future. It will help patients access new treatments at nearby health facilities. However, it is difficult to eliminate animal models.
Modern Drug Testing Technologies
These are the latest technologies scientists use to test new treatments.
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Tissue Bioprinting
3D printing uses digital files to produce sophisticated machine components. It has a wide array of applications in the tech world. Bioprinting requires bioinks that are cell-carrying gels.
3D printing can help pharmacists replicate the human tissue to determine the effect caused by a drug instead of using cell cultures. For example, Poietis, a French bioprinting firm is currently collaborating with Pharma Servier to create a liver model bioprint to test the toxicity of treatments in complex environments. Bioprinting plays a crucial role in cosmetics, as it is illegal to perform animal testing in new cosmetics in Europe.
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Organ-on-a-chip
The technology constitutes numerous cells growing inside small chips. They resemble the behavior and structure of organ systems. The tiny chips help scientists test chemicals and treatments faster than when using animal models. The chips use human tissue to make a representative model of organs such as the brain, heart, kidney, and liver.
In developed countries, it is compulsory for new chemicals to undergo testing to assess their safety and efficacy. Animals such as mice, rats, and rabbits are normally used to evaluate the risks of such chemicals. However, the testing method is costly. It is facing public objection in some regions. Agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use new methods to assess the safety of new drugs.
