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# Congresspeople Question Drug Dog Tests
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/congresspeople-question-drug-dog-tests/
- Published: 2020-07-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:22:08.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5147257

A bipartisan group of 18 members of Congress is asking FDA to provide information on its “policies mandating that drug companies conduct testing on dogs to fulfill regulatory requirements.” Their 7/22 [letter](https://blog.whitecoatwaste.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Letter-to-FDA-re-dog-testing-requirements-7.22.20.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) says the “lawmakers understand from recent reports that in these tests dogs, even small puppies, are made to ingest or inhale large doses of drugs for months on end before being killed and dissected. Several companies, including those developing vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, have questioned the need for these animal tests typically mandated by FDA.”

The letter writers express concern that the agency has sometimes not allowed companies to use alternatives to animal testing that they say are more accurate, cost-effective, and efficient. They say they are encouraged by FDA’s ongoing efforts to replace regulatory testing on dogs for human food additives and veterinary drugs and would like to see the same thing happen for pharmaceutical testing.

The letter asks for this information from FDA: 

- a listing of all relevant laws, regulations, and guidances that FDA relies on to require or recommend dog testing by drug makers and the date each was last updated;
- when FDA last evaluated the scientific necessity of its various dog testing requirements and recommendations for pharmaceuticals;
- whether FDA has reviewed past drug applications to assess how well dog tests predicted human outcomes;
- the estimated cost and timeline of the various dog tests required or recommended by FDA for pharmaceuticals;
- whether FDA has assessed the accuracy of dog testing versus available alternative methods; and
- what FDA is currently doing to advance the regulatory acceptance of data from organs-on-a-chip and other innovative and more efficient methods for dog testing that companies can use to replace dog tests.