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=== Insulin ===
=== Insulin ===
[[Insulin (medication)|Insulin]] from cattles and pigs have been used since 1920's, and was the predominant form of insulin used for decades. The first synthetic human insulin was created using bacteria in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The History of a Wonderful Thing We Call Insulin {{!}} ADA|url=https://www.diabetes.org/blog/history-wonderful-thing-we-call-insulin|website=www.diabetes.org|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> In the United States, the manufacture of beef insulin was discontinued in 1998, and the manufacture of pork insulin was discontinued in 2006.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Research|first=Center for Drug Evaluation and|date=2019-07-10|title=Questions and Answers on Importing Beef or Pork Insulin for Personal Use|url=https://www.fda.gov/drugs/questions-answers/questions-and-answers-importing-beef-or-pork-insulin-personal-use|journal=FDA|language=en}}</ref> Just normally.
[[Insulin (medication)|Insulin]] from cattles and pigs have been used since 1920's, and was the predominant form of insulin used for decades. The first synthetic human insulin was created using bacteria in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The History of a Wonderful Thing We Call Insulin {{!}} ADA|url=https://www.diabetes.org/blog/history-wonderful-thing-we-call-insulin|website=www.diabetes.org|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> In the United States, the manufacture of beef insulin was discontinued in 1998, and the manufacture of pork insulin was discontinued in 2006.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Research|first=Center for Drug Evaluation and|date=2019-07-10|title=Questions and Answers on Importing Beef or Pork Insulin for Personal Use|url=https://www.fda.gov/drugs/questions-answers/questions-and-answers-importing-beef-or-pork-insulin-personal-use|journal=FDA|language=en}}</ref>


=== Biologics ===
=== Biologics ===
Line 17: Line 17:
=== Premarin ===
=== Premarin ===
The drug Premarin is a [[Conjugated estrogens|conjugated estrogen]] which is commonly used as a hormone replacement therapy. The drug is derived from the urine of pregnant horses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The HRT horses|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3995076/ns/dateline_nbc/t/hrt-horses/|last=News|first=Keith Morrison NBC|date=2004-01-19|website=msnbc.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
The drug Premarin is a [[Conjugated estrogens|conjugated estrogen]] which is commonly used as a hormone replacement therapy. The drug is derived from the urine of pregnant horses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The HRT horses|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3995076/ns/dateline_nbc/t/hrt-horses/|last=News|first=Keith Morrison NBC|date=2004-01-19|website=msnbc.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>



== Inactive Ingredients in Biomedical Pharmaceuticals ==
== Inactive Ingredients in Biomedical Pharmaceuticals ==

Revision as of 22:58, 23 October 2020

Animal products in pharmaceuticals play a role as both active and inactive ingredients. Animal products in pharmaceuticals are inactive ingredients when used as binders, carriers, stabilizers, fillers, and colorants.[1] Biologics and some vitamins are use cases for animal products as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals. A pharmaceutical is a medium used to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease and to correct bodily functions.[2] The religious, cultural, and ethical concerns of patients and the disclosure of animal ingredients in pharmaceuticals are a growing area of concern.[3][4][5]

Controversy

A 2007 article in The Pharmaceutical Journal argues that people have a right to know if there are animal products in their pharmaceuticals. The author suggests that just as with food in the U.K., a "suitable for vegetarians" stamp on pharmaceuticals without animal products would be a suitable solution. The article then goes on to detail how in May of the same year, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and various drug companies met to discuss the issue[6]

In a 2013 study in the BMC Medical Ethics contacted 18 branches of 6 of the world's largest religions to assess the lack of available information on ingredients given the presence of animal products in pharmaceuticals. Of the 6 religions contacts, three did not accept or approve of the use of animal products in pharmaceuticals. The authors concluded that:

...religious codes conflict with some treatment regimens. It is crucial to obtain informed consent from patients for the use of drugs and implants with animal or human derived content. However, information on the origin of ingredients in drugs is not always available to health practitioners.[3]

Similarly a 2014 article in the BMJ discusses the lack of information about ingredients available to doctors. According to the article, the factors that make this knowledge gap an issue include: "religion, culture, economic status, environmental concern, food intolerances, and personal preferences."[5]

Active Ingredients in Biomedical Pharmaceuticals

Insulin

Insulin from cattles and pigs have been used since 1920's, and was the predominant form of insulin used for decades. The first synthetic human insulin was created using bacteria in 1978.[7] In the United States, the manufacture of beef insulin was discontinued in 1998, and the manufacture of pork insulin was discontinued in 2006.[8]

Biologics

Pigs are common sources of organs for xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of non-human animal tissues, cells, and organs into a human recipient.[9] Xenotransplantation is often seen as a solution to the unavailability of human organs for allotransplantation.[10] According to the Food and Drug Administration, xenotransplantation presents public health risks, including transmitting viruses, bacteria, or other organisms to humans that may not be pathogenic or detectable in the source animal.[11] A 2017 article in Molecular Biotechnology argues that genetically modified pigs are the solution to reducing the infection rate of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) in humans with xenotransplantation from pigs.[12]

Premarin

The drug Premarin is a conjugated estrogen which is commonly used as a hormone replacement therapy. The drug is derived from the urine of pregnant horses.[13]

Inactive Ingredients in Biomedical Pharmaceuticals

Gelatin

One of the most common animal products in medicine is Gelatin.[1] Gelatin is derived from animal skin, bone, and tissue most often from pigs or beef.[14] There is no practical way of determining if the gelatin used in pharmaceuticals is derived from beef or pork. It is used primarily for gel capsules and as stabilizers for vaccines.[15] A non-animal derived alternative to gelatin is Pectin as a gelling agent or Cellulose for creating vegetable capsules.[16]

Stearic Acid

Gelatin, stearic acid, sodium tallowate, and vaccine ingredients are commonly derived from cows.

Another common animal-derived additive is Stearic acid. Stearic acid can be derived from vegetables or animals such as cows, sheep, dogs, or cats.[15] There is no practical method for determining the source of stearic acid in pharmaceuticals. Stearic acid is far more abundant in animal rather than vegetable sources. Lard and tallow, for example, contain up to 30% stearic acid.[17]

Sodium Tallowate

Sodium tallowate is a common soap ingredient derived from tallow—the fat of animals such as cattle and sheep.[18] Soaps which include the use of sodium tallowate include Dove, Dial, and Ivory. A popular alternative to this ingredient is sodium palmate, which is derived from palm oil.[19] Soap is a pharmaceutical according to the United States Food and Drug Administration.[20]

Carmine

Carmine Carmine, derived from crushed cochineal beetles, is a red or purple substance commonly used in pharmaceutical products. Carmine is an allergen according to the US FDA.[21] The US FDA requires this ingredient to be declared in food and cosmetics, but not pharmaceuticals.[22][23] Japanese studies published in 2018 and 2020 have found that cochineal is an immediate allergen that is known to cause anaphylaxis.[24][25]

Vaccines

According to the American Food and Drug Administration, "Cow components are often used simply because cows are very large animals, commonly used for food, and thus much material is available." Although cows are most commonly used, animal products in vaccines can be from a variety of animals. Within the vaccine, the inactive components from animal sources can include amino acids, glycerol, detergents, gelatin, enzymes and blood.[26]

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes approximately 1,000 plant species and 36 animal species.[27] Animal ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine include animal parts such as tiger bones, rhino horns, deer antlers, and snake bile.[28] The use of animal parts in Traditional Chinese Medicine have been definitively linked to the extinction of wildlife.[29] One example of this link is the pangolin trade, which has led the pangolin to be called the world's "most trafficked mammal."[30] The 2020 edition of the Chinese pharmacopeia has removed the pangolin scales and parts from its list of ingredients approved for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.[31]

Homeopathic Medicine

Homeopathic medicine is made of plants, minerals, or animal parts.[32] Oscillococcinum, a remedy purported to reduce cold and flu like symptoms, is made of duck heart and liver.[33]

See also

Further reading

Medicines Derived From Animal Products - The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

Information on Animal-Derived Ingredients in Medicines Difficult to Obtain in The Pharmaceutical Journal

"Is Your Medicine Vegan?: Probably Not" by National Public Radio

References

  1. ^ a b "Is Your Medicine Vegan? Probably Not". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  2. ^ "Pharmaceutical | therapeutic substance". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. ^ a b Eriksson, Axelina; Burcharth, Jakob; Rosenberg, Jacob (2013-12-01). "Animal derived products may conflict with religious patients' beliefs". BMC Medical Ethics. 14 (1): 48. doi:10.1186/1472-6939-14-48. ISSN 1472-6939. PMC 4220589. PMID 24289542.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  4. ^ Rodger, Daniel; Blackshaw, Bruce P. (2019-02-18). "Using animal-derived constituents in anaesthesia and surgery: the case for disclosing to patients". BMC Medical Ethics. 20 (1): 14. doi:10.1186/s12910-019-0351-4. ISSN 1472-6939. PMC 6379939. PMID 30777063.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b Tatham, Kate C.; Patel, Kinesh P. (2014-02-04). "Suitability of common drugs for patients who avoid animal products". BMJ. 348: g401. doi:10.1136/bmj.g401. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 24496281. S2CID 42628750.
  6. ^ JUL 2007, The Pharmaceutical Journal27. "People have a right to know if their medicines contain animal ingredients". Pharmaceutical Journal. Retrieved 2020-07-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "The History of a Wonderful Thing We Call Insulin | ADA". www.diabetes.org. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  8. ^ Research, Center for Drug Evaluation and (2019-07-10). "Questions and Answers on Importing Beef or Pork Insulin for Personal Use". FDA.
  9. ^ "U.S. Public Health Service Guideline on Infectious Disease Issues in Xenotransplantation". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports. 50 (RR-15): i–46. 2001. ISSN 1057-5987. JSTOR 42000864.
  10. ^ Anderson, M (April 2006). "Xenotransplantation: a bioethical evaluation". Journal of Medical Ethics. 32 (4): 205–208. doi:10.1136/jme.2005.012914. ISSN 0306-6800. PMC 2565783. PMID 16574873.
  11. ^ "Source Animal, Product, Preclinical, and Clinical Issues Concerning the Use of Xenotransplantation Products in Humans: Guidance for Industry". fda.gov. US Food and Drug Administration. December 2016. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2020.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ Hryhorowicz, Magdalena; Zeyland, Joanna; Słomski, Ryszard; Lipiński, Daniel (2017). "Genetically Modified Pigs as Organ Donors for Xenotransplantation". Molecular Biotechnology. 59 (9): 435–444. doi:10.1007/s12033-017-0024-9. ISSN 1073-6085. PMC 5617878. PMID 28698981.
  13. ^ News, Keith Morrison NBC (2004-01-19). "The HRT horses". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2020-05-26. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "Gelatin | animal protein". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  15. ^ a b "Medicines/Pharmaceuticals of Animal Origin" (PDF). Queensland Health. January 4, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Prakash, Ajay; Soni, Hariom; Mishra, Abhishek; Sarma, Phulen (2017). "Are your capsules vegetarian or nonvegetarian: An ethical and scientific justification". Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 49 (5): 401–404. doi:10.4103/ijp.IJP_409_17 (inactive 2020-08-31). ISSN 0253-7613. PMC 5830853. PMID 29515283.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2020 (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  17. ^ "Stearic acid | chemical compound". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  18. ^ "Tallow | biochemistry". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  19. ^ "About Sodium Palmate - Tom's of Maine". www.tomsofmaine.com. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  20. ^ Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied (2020-02-04). "Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?)". FDA.
  21. ^ "Why You Should Never, Ever Give Red Candies To Your Valentine". HuffPost. 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  22. ^ Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied (2020-01-14). "Small Entity Compliance Guide: Declaration by Name on the Label of All Foods and Cosmetic Products That Contain Cochineal Extract and Carmine". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  23. ^ "Cochineal (Inactive Ingredient)". Drugs.com. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  24. ^ Hirase, Satoshi; Takeo, Naoko; Nakamura, Masashi; Sato, Nayu; Matsunaga, Kayoko; Taniguchi, Hiroaki; Ota, Kunitaka (2020). "[THE CASE REPORT OF A 8 YEARS OLD BOY WITH COCHINEAL ALLERGY]". Arerugi = [Allergy]. 69 (1): 48–52. doi:10.15036/arerugi.69.48. ISSN 0021-4884. PMID 32051369.
  25. ^ Takeo, Naoko; Nakamura, Masashi; Nakayama, Satoshi; Okamoto, Osamu; Sugimoto, Naoki; Sugiura, Shinichi; Sato, Nayu; Harada, Susumu; Yamaguchi, Masao; Mitsui, Naoya; Kubota, Yumiko (October 2018). "Cochineal dye-induced immediate allergy: Review of Japanese cases and proposed new diagnostic chart". Allergology International. 67 (4): 496–505. doi:10.1016/j.alit.2018.02.012. ISSN 1440-1592. PMID 29705083.
  26. ^ Research, Center for Biologics Evaluation and (2019-03-20). "Bovine Derived Materials Used in Vaccine Manufacturing Questions and Answers". FDA.
  27. ^ "Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals". Saving Earth | Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  28. ^ Still, J. (2003-06-01). "Use of animal products in traditional Chinese medicine: environmental impact and health hazards". Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 11 (2): 118–122. doi:10.1016/S0965-2299(03)00055-4. ISSN 0965-2299.
  29. ^ "Traditional Chinese medicine and wildlife". Animals. 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  30. ^ "The most trafficked creature you've never heard of". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  31. ^ "China removes pangolin scale from list of official medicines". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  32. ^ "Homeopathy". NCCIH. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  33. ^ "The True Story of Oscillococcinum | Quackwatch". Retrieved 2020-09-10.
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