Few drugmakers use a more moderen take a look at for contamination, risking horseshoe crabs
Many giant drugmakers are nonetheless utilizing a decades-old take a look at — derived from horseshoe crabs — as a go-to device for detecting contamination in medicines and vaccines, fairly than switching to a less expensive and equally efficient various, in response to a survey by environmental teams.
At difficulty are endotoxin checks, that are used to detect bacterial contamination in intravenous medication and vaccines. The pharmaceutical trade has lengthy relied on a take a look at that makes use of a protein referred to as LAL taken from the blood of American horseshoe crabs, however that is controversial as a result of the crabs are more and more weak. Activists say greater than 1.1 million are bled yearly for pharmaceutical functions.
Environmental teams have pushed drugmakers to undertake an artificial various often called recombinant issue, or rFC, as a result of the take a look at is believed to be inexpensive, extra environment friendly and, typically, extra correct than the older LAL take a look at. However corporations that use the newer take a look at have beforehand complained about added work to validate outcomes earlier than submitting advertising purposes to the Meals and Drug Administration.
This text is unique to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this text — plus in-depth evaluation, newsletters, premium occasions, and information alerts.
Have already got an account? Log in
To learn the remainder of this story subscribe to STAT+.
