Media Room

Although some animal tests in use today were created nearly 80 years ago, most have never been formally validated (i.e., assessed in multiple laboratories to see if they reliably give the correct answers). However, there is a great deal of scientific evidence

In light of today’s global marketplace, a meaningful reduction in animal testing can only occur if different countries are prepared to recognise and accept the results of validated alternative methods. Otherwise, companies will be forced to perform different tests to satisfy different

The great majority of animal use for experimental purposes can best be described as “curiosity-driven” research. Animals who have been purpose-bred, captured from the wild, or purchased from pounds, animal shelters, and animal brokers can be subject to a seemingly limitless variety

A large number of laws and regulations have been enacted worldwide to control the marketing of drugs, vaccines, food additives, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other substances of potential toxicological concern. Such regulations often prescribe a specific regime of toxicity testing to generate

In the time since the most commonly used toxicity tests were conceived, there has been a revolution in biology and biotechnology. Advances in tissue engineering and robotics have given birth to rapid “high throughput” in vitro (cell culture) systems, while emerging technologies

As public opposition towards animal testing has grown, animal use has been broadly prohibited where alternative methods are “reasonably and practicably available” (e.g., EU Directive 86/609 and legislation in the U.S. states of California [PDF], New Jersey [PDF] and New York [PDF])

Some toxicity tests consume hundreds or thousands of animals per substance examined (e.g., lifetime cancer studies consume approximately 400 rats and 400 mice; a study of birth defects and developmental toxicity consumes 1,300 rats and/or 900 rabbits; and a study of sexual

When it comes to human exploitation of primates, the animals are often just as valuable dead as they are alive. Their parts may be used in traditional medicine by people in some cultures and their bodies stuffed as hunting trophies by others

Living primates, whether captive-bred or wild-caught, have been exploited by humans for exotic pet trade, for our entertainment and in biomedical research. In each case, people have put their own needs and desires first, without enough thought for what is best for