publication date: May 18, 2012
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author/source: The Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research (DHT)
New provisions will limit use of animals in future research
THE Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research
welcomes the update to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as an
important step forward in replacing the use of animals in medical research.
The
original act has been in place for 25 years and in that time major scientific
advances and changes in attitude have meant that the use of alternatives to
animal experiments is now part of everyday science.
The
amended act will enshrine the 3R's principles of reduction, refinement and
replacement of animal experimentation in law making it harder for scientists to
use more animals in future research.
The
current ‘gentlemen's agreement' of replacing animal experiments with non-animal
alternatives will be reinforced by transposition of key new EU provisions into
UK law.
All
EU member states have until January 2013 to include the provisions of the
Directive to use alternatives into their national systems of legislation.
They
must ensure that, wherever possible, a scientifically-satisfactory method or
testing strategy "not entailing the use of live animals shall be used" and that
the number of animals used in projects is "reduced to a minimum".
The
inclusion of such provisions means that the UK now has not only a moral
obligation but a legal requirement to develop and promote alternatives to
animal experimentation and, where suitable and scientifically justified, to use
non-animal alternatives in place of animal experiments.
In
the Government's response to the transposition, many of the suggestions put
forward by the DHT that are related to the development of alternatives have
been included.
The
DHT is pleased to see all those issues being taken up, particularly the
creation of a national database of available alternative methods.
The
Government has said that it will give further consideration to these responses which
include the DHT's suggestions of the alternatives database, the inclusion of
3R's principles in the National Curriculum and the creation of ‘Replacement
Science'.
For
42 years, the Dr Hadwen Trust has consistently funded and promoted the use of
alternatives from an ethical, scientific and economic perspective with over 150
grants given for ground-breaking projects.
Kailah
Eglington, Chief Executive of the Dr Hadwen Trust, said: "The DHT welcomes
these new regulations as we have long called for such important provisions to
be put in place.
"They
will help replace the use of animals in all medical research and enable more
scientists to focus on developing human-relevant alternatives throughout
Europe."
For further information about the trust visit
www.drhadwentrust.org/
The Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane
Research (DHT) is the UK's leading medical research charity funding and
promoting the development of techniques and procedures to replace the use of
animals in biomedical research and testing.
The DHT was established in 1970 and is supported by patrons such as Dame
Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Brian May and David Shepherd. Funded solely by charitable donations, the
DHT has awarded grants to over 140 research projects for some of the most
advanced and successful human-related techniques in diverse areas of medical
research including cancer, Alzheimer's, asthma, kidney, heart and liver disease
and diabetes.