Kaine Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan FDA Modernization Act 2.0 to End Animal Testing Mandates
Legislation now heads to the House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) applauded unanimous Senate passage of the bipartisan FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which would end an outdated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandate that experimental drugs must be tested on animals before they are used on humans in clinical trials. Kaine voted to pass this bill out of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee this summer. He is a cosponsor of similar legislation, the FDA Modernization Act, led by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
“I’m glad the Senate passed this legislation that would prevent the suffering of innocent animals while still ensuring that critical medicines are safe and effective,” said Senator Kaine. “Data has shown that animal testing is not always the best indicator of a drug’s effects in humans, and we have alternative testing methods that are equally or more effective. I urge the House of Representatives to pass it soon and get it to President Biden’s desk.”
In 1938, Congress passed the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, mandating animal toxicity testing. Since then, data has shown that in some products, animal testing is a highly inconsistent predictor of toxic responses in humans, and animal testing of any single pharmaceutical product often requires killing hundreds of animal test subjects. The bill would not ban animal testing outright, but would allow drug sponsors to use alternative testing methods where suitable.
Kaine has long advocated for animal rights. Most recently, he successfully pushed for the release and rescue of thousands of dogs in acute distress from an Envigo breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia. Kaine has also cosponsored the Puppy Protection Act, which would amend the Animal Welfare Act to include additional care and safety standards for dog breeders. As Governor of Virginia, Kaine signed a law that imposed stricter legal penalties for dogfighting offenses.
In addition to Kaine, Paul, and Booker, the FDA Modernization Act is also cosponsored by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Crapo (R-ID).
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