Comment on ‘The ethics of animal research’ by Festing & Wilkinson

Abstract

Simon Festing and Robin Wilkinson's scientific defence of animal research rests on their claim that the development of new medicines and treatments is “all made possible by animal research” (Festing & Wilkinson, 2007). Yet the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA; London, UK) has ruled that such claims are misleading (ASA, 2005). Europeans for Medical Progress (EMP; London, UK) is an independent organization dedicated to the safety of patients. Our concern is that patients are endangered by an unwarranted reliance on results from animal models that have not been validated and are frequently misleading. We seek unprecedented scientific scrutiny of animal tests to predict drug safety—the track record of which is abysmal. Our aim is to ensure that biomedical research practices are rigorously evidence‐based. However, the results of evidence‐based medicine often conflict with the agenda of special interest groups (Dickersin et al , 2007). We wonder why the Research Defence Society (RDS; London, UK) opposes an independent comparison of animal tests with the latest human‐based tests for drug safety, and why they have even lobbied members of the British Parliament (MPs) not to support EMP's initiative. Surely, all sides should agree that an evaluation of the scientific strengths …