Lafayette Reporter

Senators John Kennedy and Cory Booker have introduced the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, aiming to push the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) towards adopting modern drug testing methods that do not involve animals. This new legislation builds upon the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, passed in 2022, which eliminated the requirement for mandatory animal testing before human clinical trials.

Senator Kennedy criticized the Biden administration for its inaction over the past two years since FDAMA 2.0 was signed into law by President Joe Biden. He stated, “The Biden administration had two years to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, but it didn’t act. Congress should send this bill to Pres. Trump’s desk to help protect animals from mandatory testing at the FDA.”

Echoing this sentiment, Senator Booker highlighted the need for updated regulations at the FDA: “It’s been over two years since Congress ended the statutory mandate that investigational new drugs (INDs) undergo mandatory animal testing before human clinical trials. We cannot allow the FDA to continue to delay on implementing this critical law."

The proposed legislation would require that within a year of its enactment, the FDA updates its regulations to incorporate alternative testing methods such as organ chips, computer modeling, and bioprinting.

The bill has garnered bipartisan support with co-sponsorship from Senators Eric Schmitt, Rand Paul, Angus King, Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, Ben Ray Luján, and Roger Marshall.