Posted by Emu under blog's category : Communications & media

The National Centre for the Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement of animals in research (NC3Rs) has published a list of guidelines for scientists to follow when reporting the results of research involving animals.

read more »

Posted by Emu under blog's category : Policy Issues

The European Council of Ministers has announced agreement on the draft Directive for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes. The new directive, now called 8869/10, will replace directive 86/609. It was revised in order to harmonise animal research legislation across European countries, and aims to strengthen the protection for animals, whilst allowing vital research to continue.

read more »

Posted by Emu under blog's category : Policy Issues

As the election manifestos from the political parties have been published, we have been having a look to see what they have to say about animal research. Each of the three main political parties has had a variety of commitments to animal welfare for years, but what would make it onto their all-important 2010 manifestos?

read more »

Posted by Emu under blog's category : Communications & media

Tomorrow the film Extraordinary Measures will be released in UK cinemas. Based on a true story, it is a fictionalised account of the development of a treatment for a type of progressive inherited muscle weakness called Pompe disease.

The film follows parents John and Aileen Crowley. When their two youngest children are diagnosed with Pompe disease, they do everything they can to find a treatment. John co-forms a biotech company to focus on developing a life-saving drug, and along the way he enlists the help of Dr Robert Stonehill. Whilst the film has almost certainly been given the ‘Hollywood treatment' the true story is equally remarkable, and laboratory animals are the stars.

read more »