SportArab, I’m not trying to be argumentative, but there are few drugs that are exactly the same as something that occurs naturally in the human body–I don’t think that is a reasonable expectation. Also, many drugs have weird sources: penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics come from fungi, and HCG comes from the urine of pregnant humans. In any case, there is scientific evidence that shows that different estrogens act differently and have more or less effect in different places in the body. It is clear that different types of estrogens are NOT equal.
Yes, it would be fantastic if another type of hormone replacement therapy (that didn’t require pregnant mare urine for manufacture) could be shown to be as safe and effective as Premarin. Unfortunately, drug development including research and human testing is incredibly expensive and takes quite a bit of time as drugs pass through stages of development and testing. How the patent on one of the ingredients of Premarin affects this, I’m not sure.
Lady E, many companies–not just drug companies–shamelessly market their products using youth and sex. I’m not saying it’s right. If a person lived their life based on advertising they would eat a lot of fast food, smoke a lot of cigarettes, drink a lot of alcohol, take a lot of medications, spend the rest of their disposable income on various cars, toys and trinkets and also be perfectly happy and look like a model. It doesn’t–or shouldn’t–take a genius to figure out that isn’t really how life works.
I agree with the AVMA and the AAEP, that the regulated use of horses for the production of pharmaceuticals is reasonable and humane. PMU mares in the US and Canada have a much better life than most other commercially raised livestock. I think that conditions for other types of factory farmed animals is much more of a concern. I also am very concerned about the overseas PMU contracts. There is precious little information out there about the PMU farms in these third world countries. I’m sure there are very few–if any–animal regulations in place.
