Comment from Hava Dennenberg

It is a matter of indisputable fact, that animal testing is not only 90% ineffective, but also entirely barbaric, unconscionable , unnecessary, and unacceptable. We are living in the 21st-century. To be clear, it was never justifiable to maim, torture, and kill animals in the name of pseudoscience, not to mention the deplorable conditions under which these animals live on a daily basis. Most of them never have access to fresh air, socialization, ability to move around, are often left for YEARS in wire cages with nothing comfortable to sit or sleep on, no ability to engage with their friends, smell fresh air or touch grass. They are living breathing sentient beings. They are not numbers. They have names. They have personalities. This is a multi billion dollar industry with severely disturbing conflicts of interest that have nothing to do with providing safe and effective and scientific protections to the public or animals. I 100% support the FDA continuing to expand clear regulatory pathways for scientifically validated alternatives to animal testing during drug development. Human-relevant methods such as human cell-based testing, organ-on-chip technology, and computational models have the potential to improve translational relevance while reducing reliance on animal studies. I STRONGLY encourage the FDA to continue modernizing its approach and supporting the responsible evaluation and acceptance of validated New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).” Here are some other facts: Many animal studies have known limitations in predicting human outcomes. 2. There is a proven need for prioritizing methods with greater human relevance 3. continued modernization of drug development is important for both science and ethics. 4. Reducing unnecessary reliance on animal testing while maintaining scientific rigor is important to me. 5. More clear regulatory pathways for validated alternatives to animal testing are necessary. 6. As a member of the public, I support continued efforts to modernize toxicology and drug testing methods. Public sentiment is vastly in support of research that does not involve animals. This is also a fact.