July 18, 2011

scientists react to coalition pledges on animal research

The government announced pledges to reduce the numbers of animals used in medical research, while supporting the use of animals where no alternative is currently possible.

Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said:

“The Wellcome Trust supports the use of animals in medical research where there are no effective alternatives. We are pleased that the Government agrees. We will continue to work closely with the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research to reduce animal experimentations wherever possible.”

Dr Philip Wright, Chief Executive of The Physiological Society, said:

“The focus that the Government is giving to the 3Rs must be supported. However we also must remember that the science of physiology and many other biomedical sciences depend on our understanding of the interactions of DNA, cells and organs within the body. And to this end the use of animals in research remains essential.

“The UK already has legislation that is amongst the strictest in the world, and if the Government is committed to maintaining the UK’s position as one of the world leaders it needs to tread carefully to avoid the UK becoming a less attractive place for biomedical research.

“The Government needs to be careful to not give out mixed messages to the UK and international research community. We need to retain our experts, continue to attract world renowned scientists and investment by industry, whilst also maintaining world class animal welfare.”

Dr Vicky Robinson, the Chief Executive of the NC3Rs, said:

“We welcome the announcement by the Government that the NC3Rs will lead the work to deliver its pledge to reduce animal use.

“Many areas of research are dependent on animal use. The statistics published by the Government on 13 July show the number of animals used in the UK continues to rise. As an organisation, the NC3Rs has no regulatory or licensing powers. Reducing the numbers in the future will therefore depend on the combined actions of the NC3Rs, the regulatory authorities, individual researchers and their institutions, and the organisations which fund them.

“The NC3Rs has an excellent track record in discovering new ways to reduce the number of animals used across the bioscience sector in universities and industry. Importantly, our work has shown that efforts to reduce animal use can also go hand in hand with better science and technology, providing researchers with new approaches to investigate human disease and ensure that medicines and chemicals are safe.”

Prof Frances Balkwill, Chair of Understanding Animal Research, said:

“Scientists across the UK are committed to the 3 Rs – reduction, replacement and refinement – to reduce animal use and promote best practice in the care of laboratory animals.

“Much progress has already been made by the research community to reduce animal use. Investment in biomedical research has more than doubled over the last 15 years, while animal studies have increased by little more than one third. This clearly demonstrates that 3Rs policies are working.

“In safety studies in particular, there has been a welcome fall in animal use. Here the number of animal procedures has almost halved since 1996. There are two main reasons for this. First is the development and validation of replacement tests, where more than 30 alternative methods for assessing safety have been scientifically validated and two thirds have so far been accepted by the regulators in Europe. Second, more non-animal pre-screens have been developed and adopted, which means that more compounds can be eliminated before they reach the pre-clinical animal testing stage.

“Other modern methodologies and hi-tech developments that have resulted in reduced use of animals in research include molecular biology, tissue engineering, computer simulations, the Diamond Synchrotron and human studies like microdosing.

“We recognise that there still needs to be more effort to develop and validate non-animal tests. The news that the Home Office is increasing its commitment to the 3Rs through the work of the NC3Rs will be welcomed across the research community.”