- Why Do We Test New Drugs On Animals? Why Do We Test New Drugs
On Animals? Opposing Views. 29 June 2010. Why Do We Test New
Drugs On Animals? Blog by Dr Ray Greek A new study in JAMA
raises an interesting question about using animal models to
predict drug response. Taking the diabetes drug rosiglitazone
has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack. The study
was a meta-analysis, which is a fancy way of saying scientists
analysed all the studies that have been conducted on
rosiglitazone and combined all the data in order to make a
judgement about the drug. The conclusion that rosiglitazone
increases risk for heart attack is controversial for reasons
that do not have an impact on this blog, hence we will ignore
them. The question this study brings to the fore is: What is the
purpose of testing new drugs on animals? Specifically, are these
tests to protect the patients taking them when the new drugs
come to the market? Or, are the animal tests supposed to protect
the volunteers and patients that take th