Changes

The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and quality of pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and medical devices intended for human use. Also the safety, efficacy and quality of pharmaceuticals for animals, food, cosmetics and radiation emitting products. Thousands of rats, mice, rabbits, dogs, and primates are killed in "pre-clinical" tests to for new drugs (including all ingredients and even minor differences in formulas). Following an extensive battery of animal testing, drugs generally undergo three phases of clinical trials. The fact that months or years of human studies are also required suggests health authorities do not trust the results. <ref>[http://www.stopanimaltests.com/us-fda.asp U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)], PETA.org, accessed February 2009</ref> '''The In 2004, the FDA recently reported that 92 out of every 100 drugs that successfully pass animal trials , subsequently fail human trials.'''<ref>Harding, A. ''More compounds failing phase I. FDA chief warns that high drug attrition rate is pushing up the cost of drug development.'' The Scientist, August 6th 2004</ref>, <ref>[http://www.curedisease.net/news/primate_inquiry_submission.pdf NHP Study: Evidence from Europeans for Medical Progress and Antidote-Europe], Safer Medicines Campaign, pg 1, accessed February 2009</ref>, <ref>Harding, A.''More compounds failing phase I. FDA chief warns that high drug attrition rate is pushing up the cost of drug development.'' The Scientist, August 6th 2004</ref> See also [[animal testing]], section 3 on ''product testing.''