New Research Method Could Help Reduce Drug Injury Numbers in the U.S.

by | January 5th, 2015

The drug industry in the United States provides Americans with some of the safest drugs in the world due to stringent testing requirements; however, sometimes medications can have side effects that go undiscovered during the testing process that can cause patients to suffer a serious drug injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates thousands of drug injuries occur each year because patient take products that slipped through the cracks of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s safety standards. So what’s being done to better protect Americans from such harm? Researchers say a new test could uncover hidden toxins in medications much earlier in the testing and screening processes.

According to an article from Science 2.0, scientists at the University of Utah used both laboratory mice and untamed mice to test the toxicity of the antidepressant Paxil. The mice were placed into a pen where they had to fend for themselves for food, water, and territory. After several generations of mice were bred, those that had consumed food laced with Paxil struggled to keep up with their counterparts in the control group, showing signs the drug may need further testing to determine its side effects.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we understand the need for determining the safety of a medication earlier in the testing stages and our Norfolk personal injury lawyers are hopeful this new research method will be used to better protect Americans from harmful side effects of medications.