EU's Medical Research Ability Threatened

Crucial medical research 'threatened' by EU animal welfare plan
Mark Henderson, Science Editor

Important medical research into conditions such as autism, Parkinson’s disease, strokes and Aids will be “closed down” if a European Union directive on animal experiments is passed in its current form, leading scientists said yesterday.

Vital studies of brain and cell function that promise new therapies for serious disorders would be blocked by the proposed regulations, turning Europe into a “scientific backwater”, a coalition of research organisations warned.

The directive also threatens the capacity of European countries to defend against a flu pandemic, it was claimed. It would bring hens’ eggs, which are critical to the production of flu vaccines, under the scope of vivisection regulations, creating costs and bureaucracy that could drive vaccine manufacture out of Europe. Read More

Being able to utilize animals in drug research has led to millions of human lives saved. But there is still work to be done. It seems everyday we get closer to finding cures for all kinds of different diseases that cause unnecessary suffering. Animal rights groups don’t place any more emphasis on humans than animals, so they would just as soon see a human child suffer as a lab rat. We must retain our ability to do vital medical research which requires the use of animals under very regulated conditions already.