Grahame Morris receives award for championing human-relevant science
We are delighted to announce Grahame Morris, MP for Easington in County Durham, as our Parliamentarian of the Month for February 2021.
As Chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on human-relevant science, Grahame is spearheading the call for more government funding to advance non-animal research methods to better understand human diseases and find effective treatments.
This year the MP tabled several questions challenging government ministers to do more to progress humane and effective research methods, increase investment to incentivise use of human-relevant research, and include non-animal methods in guidelines on medicine development.
Grahame is also one of the MPs behind a House of Commons’ motion to accelerate human relevant science which has now won the backing of almost 100 parliamentarians from across all parties.
Kerry Postlewhite, our Director of Public Affairs, said: "We are grateful to parliamentarians like Grahame who go above and beyond to show concern for animal protection and take steps to end cruel and unreliable animal research. The award acknowledges Grahame’s role as an advocate for animals and his work to advance animal test alternatives that are more relevant to humans.”
“Of the drugs that have proved promising in animal trials, 90% fail in human trials. It is time to invest in methods that focus on human biology, to transform our ability to understand human disease and develop new medicines.”
Grahame Morris MP, who received the award at his constituency this week, said: “I am delighted to accept this award. The UK public has made it clear it is fed up with animal suffering in laboratories.
“The government should be doing much more to significantly reduce animal research and switch its focus to modern humane and human-relevant methods to deliver safer and more effective medicines.”