3 out of 4 Oral Medications Contain Animal-derived Ingredients

VACAVILLE, Calif. - Oct. 1, 2020 - PRLog -- Interest in veganism and awareness around ingredients in food, cosmetics and medications is growing globally.¹ While it is relatively easy to determine if an ingredient in food is plant or animal sourced, the same is not true for medications. This is important, as the American Medical Association recently adopted a policy urging manufacturers to denote animal-derived ingredients on product labels.

Scientists from VeganMed conducted an analysis of 74,396 oral human products from the Food and Drug Administration's database and discovered that animal- derived ingredients are present in nearly 3 out of 4 oral medications. Common medications such as statins and aspirin contained animal-derived ingredients in 98% and 57% of them respectively. Common examples of animal-derived ingredients include gelatin and magnesium stearate typically derived from cow and pig byproducts and used for making tablets or capsules. Similarly, lactose is derived from milk, shellac from bugs, and lanolin from sheep. According to the study conducted by VeganMed, magnesium stearate/stearic acid, lactose, and gelatin were present in 56.8%, 37.3%, and 14.1% of products respectively.

The demand for animal-free products is rapidly growing. Many patients do not consume medications that contain animal ingredients due to moral, dietary, religious, or cultural reasons. Sadly, this information is not easy to find for the lay consumer, and increased transparency from manufacturers is warranted. Dr. Danielle Pender, PharmD, BCPS Chief Information Officer at VeganMed stated, "We have answered several patient inquiries asking us to find medications with no animal-derived ingredients. In my experience, some patients will choose to not take a medication with animal-derived ingredients, even if their doctor strongly recommends it. This can lead to complications that could have been easily avoided with clearer labeling and simple manufacturing changes. Fortunately, VeganMed has the expertise and experience to solve this problem."

References

1. Interest in Veganism is Surging. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/01/29/inter... [Accessed: Sep 30th, 2020]

For media inquiries, contact:
Sachin A Shah, PharmD, FACC, FAHA (info@veganmed.org)
VeganMed, Inc. P.O. Box 2194 Vacaville, CA 95696

About VeganMed, Inc

VeganMed, Inc (California, USA) was founded by pharmacists to create a world where medications and supplements are completely free from animal-derived ingredients. We provide resources to help consumers learn what's inside their products and find options that are Certified Animal Free. For common over-the- counter medications and supplements without any animal ingredients, VeganMed has an online marketplace.

Learn more: Veganmed.org