What describes the typical process of medications moving from animal experimentation to human therapy?

• A. They are tested in humans first and then in animals only if needed.
• B. They are tested on animals before being used in humans, and may return to animal studies for further research.
• C. They are only tested in cell cultures and never in animals.
• D. They are approved for market without any testing.

Answer: (B)

In drug development, animal studies are conducted first to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and initial efficacy before exposing people to a new compound. If the results are favorable, the therapy moves into phased human clinical trials to rigorously test safety and effectiveness in people. Throughout development, additional animal studies may be done later to refine dosing, understand adverse effects, or explore new uses. This translational path protects participants and ensures a reasonable expectation of benefit. Skipping animal testing, testing only in cell cultures, or approving a drug without any testing do not reflect how therapies are properly established.