Factsheet
CC Laboratory Animals
December 2009
Animal Experiments: FAQs
If I have to choose between my child and a rat, I choose my child
It is a common misconception that we have to choose between saving animals and saving people. Killing rats,
or any other animal species, through animal testing has not been demonstrated to save children’s lives and in
some cases has proved harmful. Over 90% of medicines that have been tested on animals fail in clinical trials.
This is because animals do not make effective surrogates for people due to species differences. There is a
range of replacement tests that use more relevant methods to give accurate predictions of how new treatments
will affect patients, thereby saving both human and animal lives.
What actually happens to the animals?
Animal experiments can involve a range of procedures for example, taking blood, using chemical injections to
induce symptoms of a disease or invasive brain surgery. Tests for the safety of chemicals involve an animal
being dosed with the substance repeatedly, often through a tube down their throat, and their reactions
measured.
At the end of an experiment animals are usually killed, though larger animals such as primates may be used
again for further experiments. Aside from the actual procedure, laboratory animals often suffer through their
living conditions. They commonly have no natural light and can be housed in very overcrowded, cramped
cages, or in some cases solitary confinement. Some experiments involve the animals being deprived of food
and/or water in order to motivate them to perform on tests for a food or drink reward.
Isn’t it just mice and rats that are used in experiments?
Animal research does rely heavily on rodents but a whole range of species is used including monkeys, cats,
dogs, fish, amphibians, pigs, rabbits and horses.
How many animals are used?
Worldwide it is estimated that 115 million animals are used in research and testing annually. The most recent
statistics show that in the EU 12 million animals were used in laboratories in a single year.
Which countries use the most animals?
Direct comparisons between different countries’ usage of research animals are difficult as countries collate
statistics in different ways and some countries eg. China do not collect statistics at all. Estimates suggest
however that the USA and Japan are the heaviest users of laboratory animals. Within the EU, France, Britain
and Germany use the most animals in research.
Are cosmetics tested on animals?
The EU is currently undergoing a phase out of animal tests for cosmetics. Currently, some cosmetics are
available in the EU which have been tested on animals. Once the phase out is complete it will include a testing
ban for both final products and ingredients, plus a ban on the sale of cosmetics that have been tested abroad
eg in the USA or Japan. The final stage is due to be completed in 2013.
Do animal experiments give reliable results?
Animals are not little people. All results from animal studies must be extrapolated to give an approximation of
how scientists think the results will translate to people. These extrapolations are almost always inaccurate
because it is not simply size that differs between species, but also anatomy, physiology, psychology,
neurology, pharmacology etc.
The problems with animal testing do not end there. Animals don’t naturally suffer from the vast majority of
human diseases, so scientists try to artificially induce symptoms of a particular disease in an animal in order to
study it. Therefore not only are scientists studying the wrong species but they are also studying a completely
different medical problem, often with a very loose relation to the actual human disease. It is little wonder that
animal testing gives such unreliable results.
If animal experiments give such poor results why do scientists do them?
There are several reasons why researchers continue to perform animal tests despite their poor results. Firstly,
laboratory animals are readily available and animal tests are well established so it is easy for scientists to get
funding for animal experiments, rather than utilise a relatively new method of study that the funders may not
feel is as well established.
Secondly, a particular scientist may have been experimenting on animals throughout his career, so that is the
method with which he is familiar. He does not have the expertise to investigate the same scientific question
using techniques such as cell culture or computer modelling.
Thirdly, if scientists want to directly compare results with previous studies, they will use the same method of
study. So for example if dogs have always been used to test batches of a particular chemical, scientists will
continue to use dogs in order to compare historical results. This is not logical as there may well be methods
available eg cell culture which more accurately predict human results, but until scientists are prepared to make
the switch, they are stuck using outdated unethical animal tests.
Does the law require animal tests?
Legislation in the EU and elsewhere currently requires all new medicines to be tested on animals. However,
this doesn’t mean that supporting replacement methods is futile. The vast majority of medical research does
not come under the category of testing new medicines, but is involved in understanding disease or developing
treatments at an earlier stage. It is also essential to continue to put pressure on the authorities to change this
outdated legislation.
If all medicines have been tested on animals, should I refuse medication in protest?
Refusing necessary medication will not help you and it will not help animals; harming yourself will not do
anybody any good. You have not asked for your medication to be tested on animals and if you do not support
it, instead of making yourself ill, it is more effective for you to go public with your viewpoint and join a campaign
to end animal testing of medicines.
If we don’t test on animals doesn’t that mean we have to test on people?
No one is advocating forced testing on people. There are many ways in which non-harmful human-based
methods can be used in research to eliminate the need for animal suffering. Research using human cells and
tissues in the laboratory, computer modelling, scanning and imaging techniques and molecular studies can be
used individually or combined in order to build an accurate picture. These techniques are advantageous in that
they don’t rely on any extrapolation from animals to humans as they already use human data.
Are the alternatives as effective?
A replacement method must be shown to be as effective or more effective than the animal test it replaces
before it is accepted. Replacement methods are therefore of the highest standard and often outperform animal
tests. In addition they are often both quicker and cheaper to perform.
Computer modelling; doesn’t it just give out the information you put in?
Computer modelling or ‘in silico’ research is a highly sophisticated research technique that is far more than a
simple processing tool. Computer technology has advanced so rapidly in recent years that this area of medical
research is now at the forefront of cutting edge techniques being used to understand the human body.
For example, scientists using EU funding have now produced a computer model of a whole human heart. They
use donated human heart tissue which is analysed using a sophisticated imaging machine, and the information
is processed into a complex model of the heart. Using this model they have been able to understand the
mechanisms by which a particular drug works and understand why the drug is effective for some patients but
causes serious side effects in others. This mechanism had not been discovered through years of animal tests.
If a replacement exists, are scientists obliged to use it?
In safety testing the case is clear cut: if a replacement method has been validated then scientists must use it
rather than the animal test. In medical research the situation is much more complicated. Every experiment is
different and it is up to the individuals performing the licensing and review process for each experiment, and
the scientists themselves, to be aware of potential replacement methods and apply them. Some experiments in
Europe undergo an ethical review process during which a panel of experts and lay persons review the
application for an animal experiment and can suggest alternative methods but this is not the case for all
procedures.