Letter: Why animal testing is 'vital' (2)

The statement "animal experimentation has never resulted in any advance in human medicine that could not have been discovered by other (safe) methods" is on the website of Europeans for Medical Advancement, and I challenge its spokeswoman Susan Green to demonstrate support for this statement from scientists working in biomedical research.

It would be a brave but foolhardy scientist who claimed that animal models are perfect for research into and development of treatments for human or indeed animal diseases.

Unfortunately animals are still the best models we have, a fact recognised by regulatory authorities worldwide, which, quite properly, demand that medicines are rigorously tested in animal trials to ensure that they are as safe as possible before being administered to clinical trial volunteers and patients.

Ted Griffiths
Director
Biomedical Research Education Trust