📄 More than 100 political figures, including Lord Sharpe of Epsom, and other supporters, including actor Jamie Bamber, have signed PETA’s open letter to Sir Kier Starmer urging action. The letter was also signed by Animal Aid, Animal Defenders International, Animal Free Research UK, Cruelty-Free International, Crustacean Compassion, Humane Society International UK, Lush Prize, Naturewatch Foundation, OneKind, and Replacing Animal Research.
Today, MPs joined PETA in Parliament to pressure the UK government to end animal experiments. With voices from across parties, we’re calling for a future of non-animal science.
Thank you, @BobBlackman CBE MP, for sponsoring PETA's Parliamentary Reception and standing with us in the call to end animal experiments. Your support is crucial to pushing for a humane future in science.
Kathrin Herrmann discusses the need to rethink use of the forced swim test in depressive disorders research.
"We must not rely on anthropomorphic over-interpretations of the behaviour of non-human animals when translating to human clinical conditions."
#UFAW2024
SAO director, @ERoseEngland, & co-authors have just published a paper calling for @ICH_news to guide pharmaceutical companies to discontinue specific preclinical animal tests for antidepressant efficacy testing. Check it out! https://t.co/o86mh75n9W
🔥Hot off the press! 📰 Our paper, "The Need for Guidance in Antidepressant Drug Development: Revisiting the Role of the Forced Swim Test and Tail Suspension Test," is now available in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. #Tweetorial 📜
https://t.co/8SyR1wlEVH
Not to be deterred by silly things like ethics and translational validity, @BristolUni refused a £24,000 donation from @PETAUK to focus on human-relevant stress research. Reported by @TristanCorkPost for @BristolLive. https://t.co/0qYAKMHJDn
Progress in the UK! 🇬🇧 After @PETAUK raised this issue to the @ukhomeoffice for the first time in 2019 & many times since; shared briefings & updates; presented at scientific conferences; wrote op-eds; engaged with cross-party MPs & the @MHRAgovuk; led a letter signed by 400+ scientists, academics, medical, & veterinary professionals, & more, the UK Home Office claimed this morning that it would take steps to fully ban the #forcedswimtest.
Lord Sharpe issued his statement, accepting the recommendation's made last year by the UK Animals in Science Committee to refuse to grant licenses to projects proposing to use the #FST as a model of #depression or for the study of #anxiety & its treatment. Sharpe stated his intent to go further: "I aim to completely eliminate the use of the forced swim test."
However, in a concerning move, the letter was removed almost as quickly as it was published. Good thing we kept the receipts!
https://t.co/TBdsP7un7P
In reality, there is no need to wait for a “validated alternative” to the test in order to end it completely, as the forced swim test is a poor scientific method which produces unreliable results. That being said, @PETAUK wrote to Sharpe recently to inform him of exciting new technology for screening anti-depressants, providing further reason to ban the test now.
Thank you to everyone who supported the open letter against the horrific forced swim test. Hoping to hear some postive news from the @ukhomeoffice on this test soon. https://t.co/zxMom2vKI1
Dr Kimberley Jane of @PETAUK will speak at the Lush Prize Conference next week about roadmaps to end chemical testing on animals. Free registration at https://t.co/tceqd1UOhT
Don’t miss PETA at the Lush Prize Conference: Learn how to bring forward an end to all animal use in toxicity testing!
🗓️ Tues 14th November #LushPrize2023
🎟️ Reserve your spot 👇
https://t.co/7e2tJC8nrJ
‘The UK's political parties must embrace 21st century science without animals’ - https://t.co/eg3iAlP5Dn. Contact your MP here https://t.co/d68QjKhTZT https://t.co/PVfzA8ap2u