Our drug development system has been broken for decades. It’s time for reform in developing and screening drugs, sans animal testing. Walk down the aisles of any American pharmacy in the U.S. or Europe today and take a close look at the labeling. Shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, deodorants, and household products increasingly carry labels assuring … Read more
Likely enactment of this federal bill signals a new era in developing cruelty-free medicines WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action today celebrated passage of the FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA) 3.0, H.R. 2821, by the U.S. House of Representatives. Led by Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., Diana Harshbarger, … Read more
The company is releasing more dogs to rescue groups, and it will get out of the business of selling dogs to laboratories or using them in tests In the coming months, Ridglan Farms will shutter its operations. No more sale of dogs for testing. No in-house commercial testing, either. During my recent visits to Ridglan to … Read more
Press Release Congressional leaders join animal welfare organizations to celebrate latest transfer and advance efforts to end taxpayer-funded dog experiments BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. — The Center for a Humane Economy announced today that another 135 beagles will be removed this week from Ridglan Farms, the Wisconsin facility that for decades bred dogs for research and … Read more
Bipartisan legislation will expedite transition toward human-relevant testing methods and away from use of dogs, primates, and other animals in drug screening protocols WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s passage of H.R. 2821, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, to ensure … Read more
The rescue of 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms and congressional action on the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 are encouraging signs This week, we are completing the happy task of moving the last of the 1,500 beagles we obtained from Ridglan Farms to rescue and shelter groups, in accordance with our agreement with the Wisconsin-based lab-animal … Read more
Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauds bipartisan momentum toward advanced human-relevant testing WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of the ongoing transfer of 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms to animal care organizations, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for … Read more
The machinery of the animal testing complex is breaking down. Animal testing is unreliable and inferior to 21st-century drug-screening strategies I’ve done a lot of things during a long run in animal advocacy. As a young man, I ran out onto a field to free pigeons about to be shot at the Hegins pigeon shoot. … Read more
This mass movement of dogs is an indicator of larger trend to wind down the use of beagles and other animals in archaic, painful experiments BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. —The Center for a Humane Economy and Big Dog Ranch Rescue today announced an agreement with Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin-based breeder of dogs for laboratory research, to … Read more
We’re on the ground in south-central Wisconsin, poised to lay our hands on 1,500 beagles who were born in a complex owned by Ridglan Farms I’m writing you just minutes before our press conference in Madison, Wis., to announce a whiplash-like turnaround in the fortunes of beagles held since birth at the second-largest beagle breeding … Read more
Incident involving a discarded monkey during quarantine highlights systemic failures, public health risks, and urgent need to modernize research Washington, D.C. — The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action today condemned a second federal citation issued to a Florida-based primate import and quarantine facility, where a monkey was mistakenly discarded into a … Read more
New policy signals major shift toward human-relevant science and away from outdated animal testing WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today released a sweeping new draft guidance, “General Considerations for the Use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Drug Development,” marking a pivotal step toward replacing animal testing with more predictive, … Read more
Landmark reforms, federal agency action, and scientific advances are accelerating the move beyond animal testing, even as entrenched industry interests resist change. In a recent letter I sent, I mused that we may be living through a Berlin Wall moment for animal testing. For nearly a century, a broken health research system has relied on … Read more
Lawmakers, governors, public health agency leaders want to expedite transition to human-relevant testing methods and to halt unethical, ineffective, costly uses of primates Washington, D.C. — The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action welcomed news from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to gauge the feasibility of transitioning the Oregon National Primate … Read more
Bethesda, MD — A new peer-reviewed paper by Dr. Zaher Nahle, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action, is published in Frontiers in Medical Technology, offering a novel and comprehensive analysis of how animal testing became deeply embedded in drug development and biomedical research—and how new national policies promoting alternative … Read more
Our work, in tandem with congressional and federal agency actions, may usher in a new era of health and well-being for people and for animals As the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported in late December, Congress included a provision in a larger bill related to the military to end “exercises that involved shooting, … Read more
Lawmakers cite planned animal testing phaseouts at FDA and other agencies as basis for reevaluating federal funding priorities across all federal health agencies WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group of 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, led by senior members of the Energy and Commerce Committee Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Nanette Barragán … Read more
We came up just short in efforts in the House to defend wolves, but plan to block anti-wolf measure in the Senate It was one of the most consequential weeks of the year for Animal Wellness Action and for our mission to reform federal policy for responsible animal protection, public health, and stewardship of wildlife. … Read more
Critical vote strengthens momentum for human-relevant science and overdue regulatory reform Last night, the U.S. Senate passed the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S. 355, signaling to the Food and Drug Administration that it must wind down the era of animal testing in drug development and boldly enter the era of screening drugs by methods grounded in human … Read more
House can now complete Congressional directive requiring FDA to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Republicans and Democrats have united to pass the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S.355, reaffirming strong bipartisan support for the government-wide shift toward modern, human-relevant technologies. The bill was introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., … Read more
Washington, D.C. — In a move that signals practical action and growing federal momentum away from animal testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued draft guidance to move down a regulatory path to reduce primate and other animal use in the development of monoclonal antibody drugs. The guidance, titled Monoclonal Antibodies: Streamlined Nonclinical Safety … Read more
Along with the new leaders of our public health agencies, we’ve been calling for a wind-down of testing on primates and dogs Last week, something extraordinary happened within the bowels of a key life sciences agency of the federal government. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has directed its scientists to end all … Read more
Animal Wellness Action and its sister organization urging NIH and FDA to follow with a phaseout of the National Primate Research Centers WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today praised the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) directive to phase out invasive monkey testing and research, celebrating … Read more
Leading animal welfare groups ask lawmakers to restore original design of the legislation and to help dogs get out of labs after they’ve been used in tests MADISON, Wis. — Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, Dane4Dogs, and allied organizations are calling on members of the Wisconsin Legislature to reject or remove the harmful Senate Amendment … Read more
Ridglan Farms’ abuses highlight yet one more example that beagle procurement leads to inhumane treatment, poor testing results Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Rise for Animals, and other advocacy groups are urging the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. … Read more
The action is one more reverberation from the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 There’s some major movement on the front end of the trade in dogs for use in laboratories. Ridglan Farms, the nation’s second-largest supplier of beagles for laboratory experiments, has agreed to surrender its license to breed and sell dogs for experimentation. This comes … Read more
BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. — Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), The Beagle Freedom Project, and Rise for Animals today cautiously celebrated the announcement, in the form of a settlement agreement, that Ridglan Farms will relinquish its license to breed and sell beagles for experimentation. … Read more
At a time when FDA and NIH are seeking to phase out testing on beagles and other animals, the Ridglan Farm operation is archaic, supplying beagles to laboratories BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. – Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today commended the Wisconsin State Veterinary Examining Board for unanimously voting to suspend the … Read more
Primate use is enormously expensive and discredited as a reliable model for human disease WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action sent a letter to the National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., applauding his plan to favor human-based research technologies and urging him to wind down federal spending … Read more
New government roadmap reflects growing confidence in AI, organ chips, and other alternatives that outperform animals in safety testing for targeted therapies By Zaher Nahle On April 10, 2025, the FDA Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies was released by the regulatory agency, amidst cheers from animal welfare groups and advocates of … Read more
Major public health agencies in U.S. to pursue 21st-century, human-relevant testing methods You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: Those of us who care about animals will long remember April 2025 as the month when everything began to turn around on the long-standing moral and scientific problems with animal testing and … Read more
With interlocking plans, the government’s major research agencies are leaving animal testing behind and pursuing 21st-century strategies to pursue more efficient and radically better outcomes for patients Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for a Humane Economy (CHE) and Animal Wellness Action (AWA) applauded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on its plan to favor human-based … Read more
The FDA Roadmap and parallel efforts in Congress will unleash 21st-century technology to benefit patients desperate for cures and spare millions of animals from needless torment Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action celebrate the 46th World Day for Animals in Laboratories, bolstered by the visionary pledge of Food … Read more
The FDA Roadmap will unleash 21st-century technology that will benefit patients desperate for cures, reduce time-to-market for new drugs, lower drug prices, and spare animals from needless experimentation Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action urged Congress to pass the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 and to provide full-throated support for … Read more
FDA Commissioner initiated off ramping of animal testing at the agency to improve human health, spare animals, and bolster a humane economy By Zaher Nahle and Tamara Drake You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: It is hard to overstate the importance of the historic announcement made yesterday by the new … Read more
FDA Commissioner initiated off ramping of animal testing at the agency to improve human health, spare animals, and bolster a humane economy You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: It is hard to overstate the importance of the historic announcement made yesterday by the new FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, on phasing … Read more
You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: I have such vivid memories of big moments in animal protection. I remember when I learned, after years of fighting the company, that Ringling Brothers Circus was ending its use of elephants and other wild animals in performances. I remember when the United States … Read more
HHS Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Makary signal movement away from animal testing while a group of bipartisan lawmakers introduce the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 Washington, D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and Animal Wellness Foundation lauded a bipartisan set of lawmakers in the House of Representatives — many of whom … Read more
The boorish treatment of Congress by the FDA includes dismissing legislation seeking to modernize the ailing agency By Zaher Nahle, PhD MPA When announcing his nominee for the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), President Donald Trump was point-blank in stating that the “FDA has lost the trust of Americans, and has lost … Read more
Legislation, dealing with largest category of animal testing, aligns regulations with law that Congress passed more than two years ago and that Biden FDA ignored Washington, D.C. — Senate Republicans and Democrats have united again to reintroduce the FDA Modernization Act 3.0. and work to usher in a new era of healthier living and longevity by facilitating the development … Read more
House can now take up and pass legislation directing FDA to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and start the long-term wind down of inaccurate, expensive, animal testing in drug development WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Republicans and Democrats have united to pass the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S. 5046. The bill was introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, … Read more
Today, the U.S. Senate passed the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S. 5046, to compel the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to get on with the task of winding down the era of animal testing in drug development and boldly enter the era of screening drugs by methods grounded on human biology. The bill passed the … Read more
Trump plan to cut spending can unlock scientific potential and make drug development safer, better The intent of the new administration to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and reduce federal spending by more than a trillion dollars is an eye-catching goal. While it is not the first time that a new administration has … Read more
Primates and other animals used in testing provide unreliable data for screening new drugs, causing harm to animals, driving up drug prices, and delaying cures and treatments Washington D.C. — As officials continue the capture of up to 43 female rhesus monkeys who bolted earlier this week from the Alpha Genesis primate research center in … Read more
Research monkeys escape from research colony — again At the close of 2022, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action engineered the most important advancement in our nation’s history on animal testing. Congress passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 to eliminate an animal-testing mandate that had been in place since the Great … Read more
The technocrats and scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seem apathetic about the suffering of beagles, primates, and other animals used in drug testing experiments. The FDA was created to protect the public from dangerous drugs getting onto pharmacy shelves, but its leadership today exhibits such ossified thinking that it’s undermining that mission … Read more
The defiant FDA is harming animals and delaying safer, more effective, more affordable new drugs from reaching patients. Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and Animal Wellness Foundation applauded Senators Cory Booker, D-N.J., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Angus King, I-Maine, John Kennedy, R-La., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., … Read more
Animal cruelty on such a massive scale needs to be punished, but groups say policy reform to move forward with 21st Century non-animal testing is the essential long-term fix. Washington D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy applauded the largest ever fine in an Animal Welfare Act case. The fine was … Read more
Key lawmakers from both parties seek to build on FDA Modernization Act with 3.0 version to accelerate movement toward 21st-century human-biology-based testing methods. We will never forget the plight of the beagles mistreated by Envigo. It didn’t take an eagle eye or beagle nose to sniff out abuses at the Virginia-based dog breeding facility. After … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for a Humane Economy, Animal Wellness Action, and the Animal Wellness Foundation thanked leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for hearing testimony on “Legislative Proposals to Support Patients with Rare Diseases”, which included H.R. 7248, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 (H.R. 7248). Animal wellness groups submitted testimony for the hearing, further articulating the … Read more