A sea change is underway, that recognises the opportunities for progress that non-animal replacements represent. While superior on ethical grounds, future non-animal alternatives hold the potential to promote scientific good practice. The wider scientific community, including organisations like RDS1are beginning to tune in and turn on to non-animal alternatives. This recognition together with the cash boost announced by the UK government in December 2007, is very welcome.
The task ahead shouldn’t be underestimated though, and this section reviews some of the hurdles that need to be overcome, and issues to be addressed:
- National Research Expenditure
Figures from the Eurogroup Survey of National Research Expenditure on 3R alternatives2, show that over 2006/2007 France gave €2.7 million for alternatives research, compared to UK’s €14.4 million, and Germany’s €4.6 million. [Source: Eurogroup]3
Yet, from 2002 to 2005 animal testing in France rose by 5% [Source: EU Stats]4 The EU Statistics also reveal that in 2005 France used 2.3 million animals of which 3,789 primates, making France the top user of primates in Europe. To view European Commission document in pdf format please click here
- Validation
Before alternative methods can be used in the mainstream to replace animal testing, they have to undergo validation. In Europe, this is undertaken by ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods). The alternatives developed and validated by ECVAM are then adopted in EU legislation, and if accepted by the OECD become international guidelines – ECVAM plays a crucial and invaluable role.
The validation process is highly complex, and estimates put the cost of validating each new alternative typically at $300,0005 (€193,610) and 3 years. ECVAM’s Director, Thomas Hartung, noted in February that 175 non-animal methods have been presented to ECVAM for validation6, but the center is unable to test all of these methods with its present level of staffing and resources.
Clearly more investment is needed to enable ECVAM to fulfil their remit.
- Industry Investment
Though funding has been forthcoming from some sectors of industry, there is well founded concern over industry's contribution to the development and validation of alternatives, and that it falls short of expectations. Hardly surprising, given that it's taken decades to get to the point where an end to the testing of cosmetics on animals is in sight, and only then, in the face of legislation and an impending ban on animal testing for cosmetic purposes.
It's imperative that industry picks up the pace, becomes more involved in research into alternatives, and accepts non-animal alternatives are long overdue.
- International regulatory acceptance
Harmonisation of regulatory testing requirements, and acceptance of alternatives worldwide is essential to reducing and replacing animals in experiments. It would be pointless to merely shift the problem elsewhere, out of sight, out of mind. Given each country has a given set of regulations and legislation, it’s important that regulatory bodies are responsive to developments and speedily adopt replacements as they become available.
Co-operation and data-sharing are also key components in ensuring the worldwide research community makes progress. Centres of excellence, trade organisations, scientific institutes to name a few each play a part in this, informing membership, forging links and moving forward together.
Online information resources that provide easy access for researchers and scientists to alternative methods, also connect and inform the scientific community, for instance, Go3R [www.Go3R.org], Launched in April 2008, Go3R is the first search engine for alternative methods to animal experiments available online.
1Research Defence Society, Alternatives and Replacements April 2008
2http://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/pdf/surveyalternatives.pdf
3http://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/pdf/surveyalternatives.pdf
4http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/pdf/staff_work_doc_sec1455.pdf Nov 2007
5ftp://ftp.cordis.lu/pub/itt/docs/itt05-4_en.pdf
6Progress without pain - Alternatives to animal experiments European Parliament, 13/2/2008
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