The absence of pyrogens in injectable drugs is an indispensable safety control because contaminants causing fever to pose a life-threatening risk to the patient resulting in the worst case in death by shock. When fever-inducing agents, i.e. pyrogens, come into contact with the immunocompetent cells in the blood, these cells release mediators, which transmit the fever signal to the thermoregulatory centers of the brain.
The in vivo rabbit pyrogen test, which measures the fever reaction following the injection of the sample into the animals.
