Botox Testing, No Longer in Animals

New Botox Testing:  

Allergans has been working on a new method of testing botox for the last ten years. After numerous failures and years of working out details to improve testing options, the Irvine based company has finally seen consistent results when testing the potency of their popular anti-aging product.

The new testing method for the anti-wrinkle product used in plastic surgery procedures around the world has animal activists and biologists celebrating. It no longer needs to use animals for the tests. The new FDA approved testing method has eliminated the need for testing and scientists are estimating that if the testing method is approved in other countries around the world who use the anti-aging product it will eliminate more than 95 percent of the company’s animal testing needs.

Allergans Inc’s new testing method uses cells placed in a lab dish to determine if the material is too potent for human use or if it is within safe limits. In the case of the botox testing, the company first grows nerve cells in the dish and then exposes the cells to numerous doses of the anti-aging material. The cells are then observed for several days to see how they react before the new batches of the anti-wrinkle product are shipped to medical doctors around the world.

The new testing method is revolutionary because it makes use of human cells to find out how humans will react to the material. After ten years of research, testing and work, the scientists working for Allergans Inc have finally been given approval for this testing method in the United States.

Original Testing:

Originally, the company was required to test every batch of the anti-wrinkle product on animals before providing the units to plastic surgeons around the world. The Food and Drug Administration required this testing method because the material is dangerous when the potency is too high.

Problems with Animal Testing:

Though animal testing has long been part of the traditional method of determining toxicity in new products throughout the United States, it is also inaccurate in predicting the exact reaction in humans. Mammals do not always have the same reactions as humans and sometimes the animal tests will not determine if a product will harm human health. This inaccuracy is now possible to start eliminating with new testing methods that do not make use of animals to determine which potency is safe for humans.

Positive Future:

Though the FDA has previously approved other testing methods for eye irritants and skin irritants over the years, many alternative testing options have been disapproved by the government authority. The revolutionary testing method developed by Allergans Inc has opened the door for other approvals making use of human cells to test adverse reactions.

While it is not yet possible to eliminate all animal testing for products, scientists are making long strides to reduce the number of animals needed in testing by creating new methods of determining when humans will have negative reactions.

The efforts of scientists around the United States and the world to find new options has been applauded by animal rights activists who feel that the future will result in more accurate testing that is humane and will not harm animals.