Mainstream development and adoption by the UK Biosciences of effective 21st Century human-based medical research technologies and techniques.

Human-based research already has a track record of success as effective 'predictive' tools for the research of human diseases and drug development. Their adoption as the gold standard, together with funded development, will undoubtedly accelerate the development of effective drugs and the discovery of cures for killer diseases and crippling conditions.

The Vision

This is a WIN WIN for:

Fiona Godlee, editor in chief, British Medical Journal - How Predictive and Productive is Animal Research?

'If research conducted on animals continues to be unable to reasonably predict what can be expected in humans, the public's continuing endorsement and funding of preclinical animal research seems misplaced.'

Objectives

1. To inform the public that medical research scientists and clinicians openly acknowledge the use of animals (the 'animal model') is meaningless because treatments and apparent 'cures' for artificially induced diseases in animals are not effective in humans.

James Coon, CEO of Emulate

'There is a groundswell of interest across the whole industry to replace animal testing, that's driven by the lack of predictability. As we move more and more toward personalized medicine, and biologics, and things that are very human-centric.'

2. To inform the public of the non-scientific reasons that explain why animals are still claimed useful as 'predictive' for humans in medical research, despite their proven scientific invalidity.

MONEY

Entrenched commerial activity worth billions of pounds that is dependent on the continued use of the animal model. Animal experiments attract public research funding for scientists working in universities, these funds are lucrative and are relied upon by the universities for income stream.

REPUTATIONS

Throughout their careers leading animal experimenters have claimed animal experiments have a clinical benefit for medicine and are conscious that public support is based solely on the belief in this benefit. If animal experimenters acknowledge there is no objective scientific evidence of the benefit of using the animal model, they risk public condemnation likely to destroy their careers and reputations.

OUTDATED DRUG SAFETY LAWS

Drug safety laws - that are almost 70 years old - are out of date with current scientific understanding of biology. An extensive body of current evidence exists explaining why the animal model is not able to provide the intended data of 'predicting' the human response. Therefore, continued compliance with these laws by animal experimenters puts patients and volunteers in clinical trials at risk which is the reverse of the laws original intention that is the protection of humans against harmful chemicals.

LEGAL ACTION

Harmful adverse drug reactions including fatalities are an all too frequent consequence of patients taking their medication. In some cases this leads to legal action for compensation against the drug manufacturers. In this context the pharmaceutical industry fears the financial implications of losing the legal defence of compliance with animal testing drug safety laws.

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