Vaccines are still tested with horseshoe crab blood. The industry is finally changing
The horseshoe crab bleeding industry is in transition. One biomedical company agreed to more oversight, and a regulatory group is paving the way for drug companies to use animal-free alternatives.
Pharmeceutical companies could soon have easier access to synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood, a key ingredient used to test vaccines and medical devices for contamination.
The U.S. Pharmacopeia, the regulatory body in charge of setting national safety standards, announced a on Aug. 22 that would make it simpler for companies to use the alternatives. The new standard, which is expected to take effect in early 2024, is one of several changes in June on the lack of oversight in the horseshoe crab blood harvest on the east coast, including in areas where the crabs' eggs are considered an important food source for rare birds.
