Animal rights attacks fall to new low
pharmafile | July 26, 2007 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
Attacks by animal rights extremists in the UK have dropped to a new low – but the pharmaceutical industry says the government must not lose the advantage it has gained.
New figures for the first half of 2007 show that attacks on medical researchers and people who work with them have dropped, continuing a downward trend established last year.
The reduction in attacks is largely thanks to new legal powers given to police to block the harassment and intimidation tactics used by the activists.
The ABPI says there has been a slight rise in the number of advertised demonstrations by activists, showing that the right to protest in a lawful manner has not been compromised.
"We welcome the sustained low level of extremist activity, which is thanks to determined action by the government, the police and the courts in clamping down on the small number of those who resort to illegal activity," said Dr Philip Wright, ABPI Director of Science and Technology.
But Dr Wright also urged the government to retain the structures which had made the crackdown so effective.
"With new government departments being formed, it is essential that this momentum is maintained. In particular, it is critical the effective cross-departmental co-ordination through the Cabinet is not lost," he said.
The number of capitulations where companies, or sometimes individuals, are pressured into not working with targeted organisations has seen some of the biggest drops, with just two cases in 2007 so far, compared with 24 in the same period last year.
Dr Wright added: "While fewer companies are withdrawing from contracts with animal research facilities after threats from animal rights extremists, more work needs to be done to build confidence across the business community to support companies going about their legal activities."
Home visits – where protestors target peoples homes, often in the middle of the night - rose slightly from 15 in the first half of 2006 to 20 in 2007.
Meanwhile, there has been a slight rise in the number of animals used in research in the UK, despite determined efforts to reduce the numbers over time.
The ABPI says the number used is still well under half the amount used 20 years ago, and that most of the overall increase is due to greater use in academia.
The latest survey of research by UK pharma shows a record number of compounds are in pre-registration clinical development.
The pharmaceutical industry remains committed to the principles of the 3Rs of replacement, refinement and reduction, and is working in close co-operation with the government's National Centre for the 3Rs.
He said the industry would challenge the use of animals whenever the science no longer justified it, but said it would continue to be an essential part of the development of a medicine.
