Rules on UK animal drug tests to change

The UK government's animals procedures committees and the Laboratory Animal Science Association have proposed radical changes in the regulation of animal experiments, to take into account a more accurate reflection of animal suffering during research as well as improve reporting procedures.

Nine laboratories, three each in private companies, public-sector organizations and universities, have completed a pilot study of the new procedures. A decision on whether to extend the new regulations across the UK's animal laboratories will be taken by the Home Office.

The animal procedures committee's chairperson, Sara Nathan, told the Financial Times that the nine laboratories had made "a big step for openness" by agreeing to be identified. The private laboratories engaged in the pilot study were UK drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and Anglo/Swedish major AstraZeneca, USA-based drug development company Covance. The others were Imperial College, London; Oxford University; University College, London; the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, the National Institute for Medical Research; and the Medical Research Council Hartwell.