LTE @ NewScientist Primate problem - 25 November 2006 - New Scientist

Primate problem - 25 November 2006 - New Scientist:

"The debate about animal experiments is not as simple as the media - or Mark Matfield - would have us believe (11 November, p 24). It is no longer about science versus animal welfare, but about 'good' versus 'bad' science.

The revision of the key EU directive on animal experimentation (86/609/EEC) is indeed a golden opportunity to allow the law to catch up with 21st-century non-animal testing methods that are species-specific and therefore methodologically relevant. In the UK, there is already a parliamentary move to ban the use of primates in scientific procedures in the form of Early Day Motion 1704, signed by more than 160 MPs.

Of particular concern is the use of non-human primates in research and testing. Around 10,000 non-human primates are used in laboratories across Europe each year, more than a third in the UK. The vast majority will be deliberately poisoned with an overdose of chemicals or drugs by pharmaceutical companies. This testing regime is as unscientific as it is cruel.

There has been an increasing trend over the last few years to use marmoset monkeys instead of the much larger macaque.

An enlightening paper published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry makes a valiant attempt to pretend that the choice of marmoset is rooted in science, but it is abundantly clear that the real reasons are considerations of cost and convenience for researchers. Marmosets weigh around 400 grams and are thus comparatively cheap to dose with valuable test compounds.

Animal Aid

From issue 2579 of New Scientist magazine, 25 November 2006, page 23"