We need more and better research without animal testing

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LabAnimals

We need more and better research without animal testing

18 May 2020
Animalfree Research
News
Animalfree Research calls the Swiss government to direct more public funding for scientifically meaningful and ethically correct biomedical research without animal testing.

Although the law in Switzerland stipulates that alternative methods are always preferable to animal experiments in both basic and applied research, almost 600,000 animals had to be used for experiments in 2018.

For this reason, our Swiss member organisation launched a petition to:

  • create the necessary legal basis for ensuring that at least half of the public funding to support human-related biomedical research goes exclusively to research without animal testing 
  • implement this requirement as soon as possible, but at the latest within the next 5 years.

The research of human-relevant alternative methods to animal testing and their application in the context of the research of human diseases and corresponding therapeutic options are innovative research areas. There have long been numerous efforts, methods such as microphysiological systems (ie human-based cell and tissue models, so-called organoids) and in silico methods (ie computer-based models) ready for use. 

These human-relevant alternative methods lead to scientific knowledge that - in contrast to most of the knowledge gained from animal experiments - is transferable to humans. Only those who conduct research on the basis of human cells, tissues and organoids can draw firm conclusions for the research and treatment of human diseases.

The post 'We need more and better research without animal testing' is modified from an article published by Animalfree Research in their original language.