US/UK/Canada

Share

Quotes

Given recent literature questioning the reliability of primate studies to translate to human benefits their use in safety testing and human disorder research has to be questioned.
Dr Michelle Hudson-Shore
Gene modification has the scientific potential to treat many catastrophic human diseases and we should not be afraid to develop it simply because of ethical concerns.
Dr Gerry Kenna
ATLA has published new and effective research into alternatives to animal testing for more than 30 years. The Lush Prize rewards ground breaking work by those investigating and promoting non-animal testing methods. ATLA is pleased to be able to help disseminate news of the progress being made.
Dr Susan Trigwell
High priority needs to be given to replacement of animal experiments with scientifically valid alternatives
Dr Gerry Kenna
A logical focus of attention is on ensuring that new non-animal methods are produced that can progressively eliminate the need for animal procedures.
Dr Gerry Kenna
PiLAS – Perspectives in Laboratory Animal Science – is a place for bioscientists to discuss aspects of lab animal use.
FRAME
“It is heartening that the Minister stressed the Government’s determination to apply strict controls on any tests that will still be permitted under the new rules.”
Dr Gerry Kenna
This proposal is bad science and will lead to misuse of potentially hundreds of animals in the research. Let’s move forward with good science that uses human non-animal models to help understand and treat human diseases.
Dr Gerry Kenna
The way in which reduction in laboratory animal use can most effectively be achieved is by rigorous experimental design and appropriate statistical analysis of any results.
Russell & Burch (The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique)
Increasing use of non-human primates in safety testing of drug candidates is ethically undesirable.
Dr Gerry Kenna
“Any level of suffering is a concern, but we are particularly concerned about those animals who suffer the most.”
Dr Elliot Lilley, RSPCA
If we are to find useful, safe drugs in the future it is vital that all interested parties work together to find valid, non-animal methods that will identify them.
Dr Andrew Bennett, Director of the FRAME Alternatives Laboratory
Animals should be treated with respect, befitting their status as sentient beings, rather than as mere tools for data collection.
Katherine van Ekert Onay
“This isn’t a tug-of-war between left and right, with only the strained rope and a referee in the middle. The middle is, or ought to be, hospitable ground to all who wish to help medical science move toward what the relevant EU Directive calls its “final goal”, i.e. animal-free medical research.”
Dr Matthew Simpson
There are ways in which ivory could be used in scientific and medical research. So is it right that seized tusks should be destroyed, or should they be recycled in the pursuit of science?
FRAME
Dr Marlous Kooijman
If a substance is to be used for cosmetic purposes, it should be subject to the same restrictions that other cosmetics are
Professor David Kendall, FRAME Trustee
FRAME believes that more emphasis should be placed on searching for valid, non-animal methods, rather than giving priority to creating a great many new genetically modified animal models.
FRAME
Pick a time period -
Tags ( Active)

Wild-caught monkeys and medical research

FRAME's response to Australia's proposed ban on importing monkeys for researchA proposal to ban the import of monkeys into Australia is being opposed by scientific associations from across the globe. The plan was put forward by a member of the Australian Greens Party as an extension of the country's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Now, the scientific journal Nature reports, opposition has been raised by several institutions and science groups, including the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the Society for Neuroscience in Washington DC,

FRAME response to French drug trial incident

The catastrophic adverse effects reported last week in a clinical trial undertaken in France were unexpected and extremely surprising.One of six people treated with repeated doses of a new investigational drug in a Phase I clinical trial was initially left brain dead and then died, four others had severe neurological problems and the fifth has had, as yet, no reported symptoms.  Although the full details are yet to become publically available, it has been reported that the drug in question was an inhibitor of an enzyme (fatty acid amide hydrolase) involved in breakdown of naturally

Do E-cigarettes Pose a Risk to Human Health?

The claim by Public Health England that e-cigarettes have no worrying adverse health effects is flawed, because it is not evidence basedFRAME is concerned that health claims are being made about e-cigarettes without the benefit of accurate data. In the latest issue of FRAME's scientific journal ATLA, Dr Robert Combes and Professor Michael Balls look at statements made by Public Health England (PHE) regarding the potential harm from e-cigarettes, compared with smoking tobacco products. PHE has stated that 'best estimates' show e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than normal cigarettes. But,

Don’t dismiss gene editing too quickly, FRAME says

Call to consider human embryo genetic modification carefullyThere is growing opposition to genetic modification of human embryos but FRAME believes the technology should not be dismissed without careful consideration. “This kind of procedure could have the potential to fix many human health problems, although there are serious ethical concerns to take into account” said Scientific Director Dr Gerry Kenna. Supporters of genetic modification believe it will be invaluable in the future to correct inherited diseases, but opponents fear the technique would give parents the opportunity to

Global initiatives to end animal testing celebrated

Prizewinning research published in Lush special issue of Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA)The work of scientists and campaigners from around the world to end animal testing is being celebrated in a special issue of FRAME’s peer-reviewed journal ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals). Produced each year in collaboration with the Lush Prize, the largest annual prize fund rewarding initiatives to end animal testing for toxicology research, the special issue of ATLA is a reflective look at the work of last year’s Lush Prize winners. Copies will be distributed at the awards dinner

FRAME response to the latest Home Office statistics on laboratory animal use

Important changes to reporting will provide more informationFRAME is delighted that changes in the reported statistics of laboratory animal procedures in Great Britain will enable better understanding of exactly how animals are used in bioscience research. Greater detail will allow better planning to reduce reliance on inadequate animal-based models and help bring about introduction of more-relevant, human-based replacements. Scientists in the UK who work with animals are required by law to submit reports to the Home Office about their use, and the figures are collated and released

Charity's response to experimental design paper

FRAME welcomes publication of paper highlighting inconsistencies in in vivo experiments.FRAME (Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments) is pleased to see publication of the paper Risk of Bias in Reports of In Vivo Research: A Focus for Improvement. It highlights an important issue that needs much more attention to ensure the number of animals in experiments are reduced and that those experiments that unavoidably (at present) use animals provide rigorous high quality results. It also identifies

OPEN LETTER CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT U-TURN ON LABORATORY BEAGLE BREEDING CENTRE

FRAME and the Kennel Club have sent an open letter to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon Greg Clark, MP calling on him and the Government to reverse their decision to grant planning permission for a laboratory beagle breeding centre in East Yorkshire. East Riding of Yorkshire Council rejected the planning application from B&K Universal in 2013 after thousands of campaigners signed a petition objecting to the proposal, but the decision was overturned by the Secretary of State after an appeal by estate managers Yorkshire Evergreen on behalf of B&K. FRAME (

OPEN LETTER CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT U-TURN ON LABORATORY BEAGLE BREEDING CENTRE

FRAME and the Kennel Club have sent an open letter to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon Greg Clark, MP calling on him and the Government to reverse their decision to grant planning permission for a laboratory beagle breeding centre in East Yorkshire. East Riding of Yorkshire Council rejected the planning application from B&K Universal in 2013 after thousands of campaigners signed a petition objecting to the proposal, but the decision was overturned by the Secretary of State after an appeal by estate managers Yorkshire Evergreen on behalf of B&K. FRAME (

FRAME experimental planning poster now in Portuguese

Strategic flowchart to reduce animal use in laboratories now available in six languagesIn response to requests by scientists in Portugal, FRAME has had one of its key documents translated into Portuguese. The Strategic Planning Flowchart helps researchers design experiments that use fewer animals and extract more information from the work they carry out. When scientists carry out experiments it is vitally important they are well designed. This is especially serious if animals are used. Good planning and design can have a major impact on reducing animal use in research programmes and on

FRAME Debate video now online

"Total animal replacement in human medicine is a realistic goal but it's a difficult challenge and it's going to be a long-term goal."A video of the FRAME Debate "Total animal replacement in human medicine is a realistic goal" is now available online. It can be found on FRAME's YouTube channel by clicking here:  FRAME Debate 2015 .    The event was held for an invited audience at the Kennel Club, London.  Speakers were:Professor Barbara Pierscionek, Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise at Kingston University's Faculty of Science,

FRAME response to EU "Stop Vivisection" initiative discussion

"Need to start a much more constructive dialogue between scientists and non-scientists."The discussion this week of the “Stop Vivisection” initiative has highlighted several extremely important issues. Firstly, the high priority that needs to be given to replacement of animal experiments with scientifically valid alternatives. Secondly, the limited relevance to human disease processes of many animal studies. Thirdly, the poor understanding across much of society of why animal experiments are undertaken currently and the bad consequences that would ensure were these to be banned in Europe.

Animal free challenge for young researchers

Young scientists who wish to go into a career without ever being expected to use animals need to be determined, resourceful and tenacious.Young scientists who wish to go into a career without ever being expected to use animals need to be determined, resourceful and tenacious. That is the conclusion of new research published in FRAME’s  online discussion board PiLAS. It is based on a survey into attitudes faced by young scientists, carried out as part of the Lush Prize scheme. Award winners were published in the sixth issue of ATLA – FRAME’s scientific journal – last year . The scheme

FRAME welcomes Home Office ban on animal tests for household products

FRAME is delighted with today’s announcement from the Home Office that there will be a ban on testing household products on animals with effect from October .  The move follows a detailed consultation about the impact such a ban would have on industry and the economy. The ban will apply to products bought by the public for use at home and in the garden, including cleaning products, polishes, detergents, paint and decorating materials, laundry products, adhesives and air fresheners.  It does not cover pesticides, medical products, packaging and delivery systems, or products intended for

FRAME response to head transplant proposal

"Bad science" says alternatives charityResearchers have announced that it might be possible to transplant a human head onto a donor body within two years – but FRAME is concerned about the ethical and scientific questions surrounding the project. FRAME Scientific Director Dr Gerry Kenna said: “At first glance, the proposal to transplant a human head to a different body has the appearance of opportunist sensationalism.  Even if it could be achieved successfully – a very, very big if – it would be enormously expensive and traumatic and have many potential long term risks (organ rejection,

Experimental design reduces animal numbers and yields better data

Latest FRAME Training School in Experimental Design and Statistical AnalysisRegistration for the next FRAME Training School in Experimental Design and Statistics closes next week. (February 17) Although FRAME’s ultimate vision is a world where the default position in biosciences is to use non-animal methods it acknowledges that animal experiments do take place, and campaigns to reduce the numbers involved. In their 1959 book The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique, William Russell and Rex Burch identified that the way in which reduction in laboratory animal use can most

New research casts doubt on monkeys as drug testing model

FRAME is calling for increased investment in cell-based and computer methods of drug testing following new research that demonstrates serious flaws in an animal model.Cynomolgus monkeys are considered a valuable species for drug testing because of their size and their relatively close genetic parallels with humans. Now new experiments to investigate how the liver handles the commonly-used painkiller paracetamol have revealed that cynomolgus monkeys are resistant to doses that would be fatal in humans. The findings cast serious doubt on the use of these monkeys as an animal model for drug

FRAME’s new Director

FRAME has appointed a new Director to oversee its research programme at the Nottingham office.Dr Gerry Kenna is a drug safety scientist with extensive industrial safety assessment experience, including 11 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to that he had a highly successful academic career. He is recognised nationally and internationally in the field of human adverse drug reactions. He said: “I am very excited about the prospect of working with FRAME. It is a successful and respected organisation with a long history of excellent work in the field of alternatives to animal-based

A 'road map' toward ending severe suffering of laboratory animals

The RSPCA has drawn up a plan that aims to end severe suffering for animals used in research and testing.  The road-map has been released in response to changes in EU and UK legislation and has been published in FRAME’s scientific journal ATLA.Until now scientists have not been required to record how many test animals have undergone procedures classified as ‘severe’, but from 2014 research establishments will have to assess the level of suffering involved for individual animals and report the information along with other annually collected data.  The introduction of EU Directive 2010/63/

Spreading the Three Rs message to China

Mandarin translation of textbook distributed free to Chinese libraries and universities An abridged version of the book that first set out the Three Rs principles of alternatives to animal experimentation has been translated into Chinese, and will be distributed to libraries and universities throughout China. China has so far been slow to adopt alternatives – cosmetics testing on animals is still required by law there, for example – but support for non-animal methods is growing. The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique was published more than 50 years ago by William

FRAME welcomes minister's call for end to UK animal experiments

More collaboration needed between Government, industry and alternatives researchers to find valid, effective, non-animal methods.FRAME has welcomed Home Office minister Norman Baker’s call for an end to animal experiments in the UK. In an interview with the BBC Mr Baker said an end cannot happen overnight but he believes the Government is moving in the right direction. FRAME wants to see more collaboration between the Government, industry and alternatives  researchers to find effective non-animal methods to replace those currently in use. Recent studies have shown that testing

More collaboration needed in the hunt for new drugs

Important implications for the use of animal models in predicting human toxicity. New methods are urgently required.FRAME is calling for more collaboration between alternatives organisations and the pharmaceutical industry following publication of a new investigation of preclinical drugs  trials using laboratory animals. Scientific papers covering more than 2,300 substances tested on rats, mice and rabbits were analysed to measure the likelihood ratio that chemicals showing no adverse reactions would behave the same way in humans. The paper, published in FRAME's scientific journal

“When in doubt, support the animals”

A veterinary surgeon’s advice about the challenges of working in animal laboratories.Veterinarians, who are often drawn to their profession by a desire to care for animals, can be faced with tough challenges when working in animal-testing laboratories. They can encounter cases of severe pain and suffering, but are unable to apply analgesia because of the requirements of an  experiment.   Katherine van Ekert Onay, President and co-founder of Sentient – The Veterinary Institute for Animal Ethics, describes such a situation in an article in the latest edition of PiLAS. (Perspectives in

There are no items matching the current filter
There are no more items matching the current filter
Back to top