Background The latest gimmick by the critics of the pharmaceutical industry is a so-called study that says your dog and cat pay less for the same drug than people pay. These critics are barking up the wrong tree. Likewise, they ignore the substantial scientific and cost differences between developing drugs for humans and developing drugs for animals.
Most people know that it costs far more to develop a drug for a person than for a pet.
While we Americans love our pets, we love our children and our family members more so U.S. law requires rigorous human clinical trials to ensure a drug is safe and effective. To develop a safe and effective drug for humans, it takes on average 12-15 years and half a billion dollars. Clinical trials are performed in thousands of patients. It takes no where near that amount of time, money and research on medicines for pets. Prices of animal drugs do not provide a compelling argument that human drugs are priced too high.