Starting in May 2025, there will be a new set of quality standards for the pharmaceutical industry to move away from using horseshoe crabs for drug testing.

The new guidance approves the use of two synthetic chemicals for detecting toxins and medical products rather than a substance based on horseshoe crab, blood, energy and environmental writer Jon Hurdle is here with me to explain the other environmental benefits that can come from the new standards for pharmaceutical industry.

Announce new standard when it comes to the biomedical harvest of horseshoe crabs.

Can you explain those new standards and what's required now?

Well, the new standard is that there's an organization called USP, which is an independent group that sets professional scientific standards for the pharmaceutical industry.

And what they've said, they've they've actually officially announced their endorsement of two synthetic reagents for the testing of no toxins in in medical products, including vaccines.

And.

And what that what that means is that there is now an officially endorsed of the list whose substances are now officially cleared by the industry standards setting body for the testing for testing that what it means is that they don't have to use a substance called LDL, which is derived from horseshoe crab blood.

And what the conservationists hope is that that's going to mean a reduction in the demand for horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay.

Jon, what's so interesting for those who had no idea how horseshoe crabs really play a vital role in medical research?

So what are they being used for?

Well, there are two main two main uses for horseshoe crabs.

One is as bait for the commercial fishing industry, and that is that that practice largely continues with the exception of New Jersey, which banned the taking of horseshoe crabs to bait with the state law back in 2008 in its waters.

And the other main use is, is for the biomedical purposes by the pharmaceutical industry, As we've been as we've been explaining.

Jon, with the new requirements, what could change in terms of how vaccines are now tested?

Well, what the conservationists are hoping is that is that more pharmaceutical companies are going to switch to using these synthetic alternatives to the crab based product.

And one of the arguments in favor of that is that since they're since they're synthetic, they can be manufactured to demand rather than for the whole industry to rely on the.

On the crab based product.

And and any industry that relies on something that's derived from from an animal is is clearly opening itself to to less reliability.

And so the conservation is that this is going to mean a reduction in the demand for horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay.

Well, you just mentioned that it is being considered a victory.

So what role do horseshoe crabs play in preserving a healthy ecosystem along the Atlantic Coast?

Well, the main the main thing they do is that they lay eggs that are eaten by migrating shorebirds.

And particularly and you may have heard of there's a little shorebird called the Red Knot, which is has garnered all kinds of attention for at least the last decade because its numbers are kind of perilously low at the moment and it is highly dependent on the on eating eggs for horseshoe crabs to sustain it.

Thanks for joining me, Jon.

You're welcome.

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An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.