John,
Dating back to before the dinosaurs, horseshoe crabs are among the Earth’s most ancient animals. They’ve survived for almost half a billion years, but now, in North America, they’re at great risk: Each year the biomedical industry “harvests” nearly a million crabs to drain their blood. That blood is used in pharmaceuticals that save human lives — but at a terrible cost to the crabs and the species that depend on them, like endangered red knots.
With their populations at historically low levels, these critters need relief fast.
Luckily a synthetic alternative to horseshoe crab blood already exists. Europe and Japan have used it for years. Now the U.S. Pharmacopeia — which sets standards in compounding, biologics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other fields — has released draft guidelines that would allow the synthetic alternative in the United States, too. The alternative is a huge step up from crab blood: It will better protect human health, save millions of horseshoe crabs, and benefit shorebirds like red knots, who need horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their epic migrations.
Help give imperiled horseshoe crabs and shorebirds a fighting chance. Tell the U.S. Pharmacopeia you support a synthetic alternative to horseshoe crab blood because it’s safer and more sustainable.
