Part 2: Beagles in drug trials
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Friday, August 12th.
Part 2 of a story we brought you yesterday on beagles being used in drug trials. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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The C-D-C updated its Covid guidance.
It was released yesterday and lifts the requirement to quarantine if exposed to the virus.
It also de-emphasizes screening people with no symptoms and updates COVID-19 protocols in schools.
Including removing the recommendation to test to stay at school after a potential exposure.
It also brings the recommendations for unvaccinated people in line with people who are fully vaccinated.
Health experts say the update isn't a huge overhaul of the existing guidance, but it does focus on people making their own decisions about their level of risk and what they want to do about it.
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And here in San Diego County, we are no longer in the “high” risk level for Covid.
We’re now at the medium risk level.
That means the number of new cases in the county are decreasing.
The county updated the number of COVID cases and deaths yesterday.
There was an average of about one-thousand cases reported per day over the last seven days.
And eight new deaths were reported.
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Monkeypox cases are increasing in San Diego County.
As of yesterday, the current outbreak is seeing 121 cases in San Diego and 17-hundred statewide.
A majority of cases have been among gay and bixsexual men, but officials want to be clear that anyone can become infected.
Monkeypox can cause painful rashes and sores and is spread through close contact.
San Diego County health officials held a virtual monkeypox town hall yesterday to answer questions from community members.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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How does research on animals translate to treatments we use in human beings?
In part two of this story, KPBS’s Maya Trabulsi reports on the current state of science and the regulation when it comes to using animals in research.
Throughout history, animals have been used in research, playing a major role in the way we find safe treatments to care for each other as humans. YAKSH “Well, we're not rats, it's quite clear. But, there are biological parallels between species.” I’m Tony Yaksh, professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology at University of California, San Diego. He says the Covid-19 vaccines are perfect examples of how animal trials paved the way for an urgently needed medication. YAKSH “And that first injection in the arm did not occur. Well, let's just try the first person who wants to volunteer. It was done with the idea that a tremendous amount of work had been done with the animal models to in fact show that there was no adverse events.” But, are animals the only option in the year 2022? A growing number of experts are saying ‘no,’ especially when it comes to companion animals like dogs. In a statement to KPBS, the FDA says it is important to select an appropriate model for particular exploration and sometimes the best model for a study is a dog model. In San Diego the issue has taken on a greater urgency, A San Diego based-pharmaceutical company Crinetics is currently using out-of-state lab Inotiv to test its new drug on 80 beagles. The Humane Society released undercover video of the testing and . believes 32 of the dogs have already been euthanized it is asking for the rest to be released for adoption at the end of the study this year. Both Crinetics and Inotiv issued statements to KPBS saying they are acting lawfully and ethically. Crinetics says it follows strict guidelines and requires its contractors to do the same. AKHTAR “But for those dogs that are still safe, are still alive, are still healthy enough to be adopted out, there is no regulation that prevents them from being adopted out.” Dr. Aysha Akhtar is a neurologist and public health specialist who worked at the FDA for 10 years. She contends that animal testing is too unreliable and outdated to really gve us answers. AKHTAR “Despite the fact that the Food and Drug Administration will require all new drugs and vaccines to be tested on two different species before moving into human clinical trials. 90% to 95% of all the drugs and vaccines that pass all those animal tests that are found safe and effective in those animals end up not working or are unsafe once they get tried in humans.” GARNER: “Saying 90-95 % is misleading. There's lots of reasons why drugs fail in human trials.” Dr. Joseph Garner is a Professor of Comparative Medicine at Stanford University. He says the issue is more nuanced. GARNER: “The vast majority of drugs entering human trials fail, but for other reasons.” GARNER: “I deeply believe that we can improve the translation of animal results into humans…But at the end of the day, there are just certain things that you have to do in animals, but we can reduce the number.” Congress is poised to make it easier for the FDA to allow more non-animal options. The FDA Modernization Act of 2021 aims to allow for more alternative methods like cell-based assays, organ chips, and computer models. It passed the House in June and is now before the Senate. Earl Carter, a pharmacist and Republican Congressman from Georgia, spoke in support of the act. RETRACK REP. EARL “BUDDY” CARTER (R-Georgia) “We can do better when it comes to preclinical test methods and apply 21st century test methods that rely on human biology, not so much on beagles.” Back at UCSD, Dr. Yaksh says if there is a way to replace animal testing, pharmaceutical companies would be inclined to do it, especlally from a finanical standpoint. YAKSH “Because researchers, scientists, people in drug development, they're not stupid. If you can show a better way to develop a drug and a molecule to treat that patient, that SMA patient, that Huntington's Chorea patient, that Alzheimer's patient, if you can show a better way to do it, bring it on because I promise you people will be beating your door down.” Dr. Lawrence Hansen is a board certified pathologist and professor at the UC San DIego school of medicine. HANSEN: “But, I need to make it absolutely clear I'm not speaking for the UCSD School of Medicine. I'm just speaking for me.” Hansen, a member of several animal welfare groups, speaks from an ethical viewpoint. HANSEN “it seems particularly egregious to use dogs for animal research, for vivisection animal research, because dogs and humans have a history that goes back 15 thousand years. “we produced an animal that is hardwired to love us and that has no choice but to love us. And beagles are particularly easy to take advantage of. “Hansen protested against the use of dog testing at the university almost 20 years ago. MAYA “Did you in your time as a student test on animals?” HANSEN “I didn't test on them. I did something worse than that, I killed two dogs. I killed one dog in a physiology lab when I was in medical school, and I tortured slowly to death another dog when I was in a surgery clerkship where they wanted us to practice surgical techniques on dogs.” “It is a karmic debt that I can’t pay back ” As for the dogs that do make it out of labs and into families, what is clear is their capacity to forgive for whatever they may have endured in the name of helping humans. Maya Trabulsi BARKING KPBS News
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Casa de Amparo or Home of Protection in San Marcos serves foster youth ages 12 to 18 that have suffered childhood abuse.
On Thursday, local leaders gathered to celebrate the opening of a new medical facility on the property.
“We’ve always had on site behavioral health services, the girls here receive daily one on one therapy but accessing medical care has been an issue.”
That was Michael Barnett, the CEO of Casa De Amparo.
Before the new facility was opened, he said youth would need to travel to receive medical attention. He said leaving the property to go to medical appointments caused anxiety for the youth.
He says the onsite facility will help build trust.
“Telling them the doctors right here on campus where you know you're safe and we just have to take a little walk up the hill and go to the clinic. That's a much lower barrier for our girls.. Lead to better outcomes for all.”
The facility will be run by True Care and offer a medical exam room, mini lab, and office space with an onsite physician and medical assistant.
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The San Diego Housing Commission is seeking partners to operate a so-called "safe village" where people experiencing homelessness would be allowed to camp.
KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen has more.
AB: The housing commission this summer put out a call to social service providers interested in operating a safe village. The goal is to offer another option for unsheltered people who can't or don't want to stay in traditional shelters because they lack privacy, or perhaps don't allow pets. Josh Coyne of the nonprofit Downtown San Diego Partnership says unsanctioned, unsafe villages exist today. JC: What we're trying to do is move folks from those unsafe, unhealthy, unsanctioned villages that folks have created and moving them more into traditional sanctioned villages to receive the care and resources that they deserve. AB: The deadline for service providers to declare interest in the safe village concept is Monday. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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Coming up.... We have some weekend arts events for you. We’ll have that, next, just after the break.
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And lastly, we have a weekend preview of events, with some visual arts, a family-friendly movie screening and the Barrio Art Crawl.
Angie Chandler is the creator of Culture Mapping San Diego and a Cultural Arts Strategist and arts ambassador based in southern California.
She joined KPBS’s Jade Hindmon with all the details on this weekend’s events.
Tomorrow is the second Saturday of the month which means the Barrio Art crawl is happening in Barrio Logan. Angie, tell us about what to see and do at this event?
The Mingei Museum in Balboa park has a Mingei After Dark event tomorrow night (Saturday) in its outdoor courtyard, it’s a screening of the movie, “Coco,” tell us about this event.
Next we have Entanglement: a cultural yarn art experience…which is currently on display in the Mixed Grounds coffee gallery. What can you tell us about this show and the artist, King?
And here's something that’s closing soon, the “Echos of Africa” Exhibition is on display at the San Diego Central Library for another week – why is this show one not to be missed?
You can find details on these and more arts events, or sign up for our weekly arts newsletter, at KPBS dot ORG slash ARTS. I've been speaking with Angie Chandler, creator of Culture Mapping San Diego and a Cultural Arts Strategist and arts ambassador based in southern california. Angie, thank you! Have a great weekend!
And that was KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon.
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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is produced by KPBS Senior Producer Brooke Ruth and Producer Emilyn Mohebbi. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
