We hope coronavirus human trials will urge researchers to reconsider need and effectiveness of animal tests
We welcome an announcement from UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock that that a potential vaccine for coronavirus developed at Oxford University will go to human trials this week. The UK government has also provided financial support to fast-track the development of a competing vaccine made by Imperial College London. Both teams are working with regulators to speed up the trial process that would normally take several years.
We call for similar steps to be taken by scientists across the globe to avoid relying on lengthy and unreliable animal tests that have the potential to cause unnecessary suffering to thousands of animals, including monkeys, dogs, cats, ferrets, and mice.
Dr Katy Taylor, Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs at Cruelty Free International, says: “We welcome the UK government’s latest announcement showing that we can proceed to human trials with minimal animal data. It is unacceptable to continue with outdated and unreliable animal tests in our efforts to develop an effective treatment.
“There is no robust proof that animal tests reliably predict human safety and efficacy. In fact, over 90% of new drugs that appear safe and effective in animal tests fail in human trials. We call on researchers worldwide to focus on modern humane and human-relevant studies to develop a vaccine as soon as possible and avoid the unnecessary suffering of thousands of animals.”
Since the start of the outbreak, we have urged resources to be directed towards studying the virus in humans to increase our understanding of the disease, treat patients, and limit the spread of the infection.