Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA's Animal Testing Program To Come Under Review After Deaths Of Monkeys In Addiction Study
The New York Times: Citing Deaths Of Lab Monkeys, F.D.A. Ends An Addiction Study
The deaths of four squirrel monkeys used as subjects in a nicotine addiction study have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to shut down the research permanently and to establish a council to oversee all animal studies under the agency’s purview. “It is clear the study was not consistent with the agency’s high animal welfare standards,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency’s commissioner, said in a statement on Friday. “These findings indicate that F.D.A.’s animal program may need to be strengthened in some important areas.” (Kaplan, 1/26)
The Washington Post: Monkeys In A Nicotine Experiment Can Relax. Their Future Is Looking Up.
Squirrel monkeys from an Food and Drug Administration nicotine study are headed to a long-term sanctuary after officials concluded that the experiment, which resulted in four deaths, did not meet the agency's animal-welfare standards and shut it down. Twenty monkeys that were involved in the study, plus six that were not, will be moved to the sanctuary, the FDA said Friday. It did not detail where the monkeys will go or when, although officials said the transition process could be lengthy. (McGinley, 1/26)
