Five people have been arrested after animal rights activists gathered for a protest outside a drugs laboratory.

Members of Camp Beagle UK were among protesters outside Sequani on Bromyard Road in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

The group campaigns against beagles and other animals being used for drug and chemical testing in the UK.

Sequani uses laboratory animals in clinical trials and said it does so to ensure the highest standards of product safety.

Continue reading the full article at:

Five arrests after animal rights protest at Ledbury lab – BBC News

Regards Mark

I-TEAM: New evidence in Augusta University’s animal research case

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – New evidence in a case involving animal research at Augusta University could prove AU lied to the federal government, risking millions of research dollars.

Our I-Team first uncovered allegations of fraud, forgery, and a cover-up at Augusta University after a research monkey died nine years ago. You could call it a smoking gun, and for years, Augusta University used the big guns to try to keep it under wraps.

Continue reading more about this issue at:

I-TEAM: New evidence in Augusta University’s animal research case (msn.com)

Regards Mark

Major success in the USA: new drugs no longer have to be tested on animals for approval

7 February 2023

DAAE

For the first time in more than 80 years, a change in U.S. law will allow new drugs to be tested using modern, animal-free, human-based methods.

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes this huge step forward and calls on the EU to follow suit by developing and implementing a strategy for human-relevant drug development without animal testing.

The new law, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden at the end of December 2022, allows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve new drugs without requiring animal data. Previously, pharmaceutical companies were required by law to test the safety and efficacy of their drug candidates in multiple animal studies, including toxicity tests on one rodent species such as a mouse or rat, and one nonrodent species such as a monkey or dog, before testing the drug candidates in human clinical trials.

A large amount of data clearly demonstrates the failure of the outdated system based on animal testing. On average, 92% of drug candidates that successfully pass all animal tests are later abandoned during human clinical trials, mainly because they do not work or cause significant side effects.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Thanks to the new law, modern, human-relevant approaches, such as human mini-organs (“organoids”), organ-on-a-chip and computer-based methods can now be used for regulatory purposes in the U.S. instead of standard animal test methods. Many non-animal methods have already been shown to be more accurate and reliable than animal testing. For example, a recent study used a human-liver-chip to demonstrate the toxicity of several liver-damaging compounds, whereas previous animal tests had incorrectly classified the same compounds as harmless.

Such examples show the potential of this legislative change to not only save countless animals from barbaric testing and a cruel death, but also to ensure better safety for patient.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

However, animal testing is not banned under the new law and is still allowed as a possible testing approach. Nevertheless, it is a huge step forward that pharmaceutical companies will no longer be legally obliged to conduct animal tests, and will be free to use accurate, human-relevant, non-animal methods.

While the U.S. is introducing this modern, forward-looking legislation, some animal testing is still required by law  for drug approval in the EU.

Europe must follow the example of the U.S. as soon as possible, and end the use of animals in drug testing. If we want to develop better therapies and not fall behind in the global drug market, we should also rely on the most modern, successful and reliable human-based methods and not on pointless animal testing.”

Dr. Dilyana Filipova, scientist at Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Read more at source

Doctors Against Animal Experiments

Regards Mark

Proposal to alter Food and Drugs Act could see animal-tested products outlawed in Canada

Canada could ban testing of cosmetics on animals, a move which some animal rights activists say makes them “very hopeful” for the future.

“There’s a lot of support from this across parties,” said Camille Labchuk, executive director of the organization Animal Justice.

The ban aims to change the Food and Drugs Act to outlaw the sale of cosmetics that were tested on animals or contain animal-tested ingredients. These include products such as make-up, nail polish and perfume.

Read more:

Canada trails other nations on banning animal-tested cosmetics. A new plan aims to change that | CBC Radio

Regards Mark

26 January 2023

Signed, sealed, and delivered! The “Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing” European citizens’ initiative (ECI) has smashed the requirement of gathering 1 million validated signatures, reaching over 1.2 million statements of support from European citizens.

The European Commission must now meet with campaigners and address citizens’ concerns. As over 10 million animals suffer in experiments in the EU every year and new non-animal technologies are being developed faster than ever before, the time for change is now.  

The days of forcing cosmetics ingredients down the throats of defenceless animals, intentionally infecting them with debilitating diseases, or drilling holes into their skulls must end – a radical rethink at the EU level is needed to support the transition.”

Sabrina Engel, chair of the ECI’s organising committee, PETA Germany

This European citizens’ initiative powerfully backs up the demand of the European Parliament to phase out animal testing for good. With the voice of the citizens added to the chorus, the Commission cannot ignore the loud calls to accelerate the transition to non-animal science.”

Tilly Metz, MEP, Greens–European Free Alliance

With the threat that the chemicals strategy poses to animals in laboratories, this ECI could not be timelier. From today, no additional animal tests should be requested to fill information gaps about chemicals. We need to move to safer and more humane safety assessments of chemicals.”

Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP, European People’s Party

The message from citizens has never been clearer or more aligned with the voices of scientists, industry, NGOs, and politicians. Everyone understands that a plan to phase out animal experiments is a win-win situation for humans, other animals, and the environment. Now, the Commission should listen to citizens and finally make it happen.”

Anja Hazekamp, MEP, the Left

European citizens have been asking for cruelty-free cosmetics for a long time. This European citizens’ initiative is another reminder to the Commission that EU citizens will not stand by while loopholes in legislation are not closed to end all animal tests on cosmetics.”

Niels Fuglsang, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

The ECI’s three critical asks call for robust implementation of the EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics ingredients, a full transition to non-animal methods for chemical safety tests, and committing to a plan to phase out all experiments on animals. 

The ECI was launched in August 2021 by Cruelty Free Europe, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, Humane Society International/Europe, and PETA, with the support of global beauty and personal-care companies The Body Shop, Dove. It has since been actively promoted by companies such as Lush and a coalition of groups and campaigners from every corner of Europe. Hundreds of celebrities also supported the campaign, including Sir Paul McCartney, Ricky Gervais, Finnish heavy metal band Lordi, Italian singer Red Canzian, French journalist Hugo Clément, and actor Evanna Lynch. 

No other ECI has ever received this level of support across so many different countries. To be successful, an ECI has to collect at least 1 million validated signatures and has to meet a minimum target across at least seven different EU countries. This ECI passed the minimum target in 22 different countries, demonstrating pan-European support for ending animal testing.   

Regards Mark

Animal Testing Is Still Required for Drugs and Certain Cosmetics — What Are the Pros and Cons?

Whether it’s done for cosmetics, medication, or anything in between, animal testing is a cruel practice, and one that animals can never consent to.

However, testing on animals is required for all new medications used in the U.S., and is still required in China’s cosmetics industry in many instances.

Keep reading for a look into the pros and cons of animal testing, aka vivisection, both in the pharmaceutical industry and the cosmetics industry.

Animal Testing Is Still Required for Drugs and Certain Cosmetics — What Are the Pros and Cons? (msn.com)

Regards Mark