Letter to the editor: Animal studies are important for medicine
In the current political climate, it’s reckless for organizations like White Coat Waste Project to accuse America’s world-renowned researchers of conducting “cruel” and “wasteful” research (“Letter to the editor: Pingree to be commended for support of lab animal bill,” Nov. 17).
Why would a political organization make such a dangerous claim? Because it remains opposed to ethical and necessary research that involves animals.
Animal studies have resulted in a long list of Nobel prize-winning breakthroughs, such as cancer immunotherapy, which has saved countless lives, and the development of MRI imaging. Our most powerful COVID-19 vaccines – which rely on an entirely new vaccine platform – involved animal research as well. The list goes on and on.
We should be giving America’s research community a standing ovation, not attacking it.
Paula Clifford
Executive director, Americans for Medical Progress
Washington, D.C.
Indictment of monkey importers could disrupt U.S. drug and vaccine research
The indictment of several members of an alleged international monkey smuggling ring is sending ripples through the U.S. biomedical community. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged two Cambodian wildlife officials and several members of a Hong Kong-based primate supply company with illegally exporting hundreds—and potentially more than 2000— cynomolgus macaques, an endangered species, to the United States for research. The animals were reportedly captured from the wild in Cambodia and falsely labeled as captive-bred. Read more.
How to Report on Animal Research Fairly and Transparently
Almost everything we know about biology we’ve learned from observing animals as biological systems. We keep them in cages, study their behavior, and, in many cases, analyze their tissues after they die. But animal research is a fraught topic within the scientific community and in the public sphere. Read more.
He’s not a doctor; he shouldn’t play one on his sketchpad
The Star-Ledger’s Drew Sheneman is clearly a very talented political cartoonist. But that does not make him a medical expert. Read more.
Lawmakers introduce FDA Modernization Act to save more beagles from experimentation
The 4,000 beagles now up for adoption, including those visiting Congressional staffers on Capitol Hill this month, were rescued from a breeding facility in Cumberland, Va. Read more.
Letters to the Editor: How much do we need animal medical research? Readers debate
To the editor: With the recent closure of a breeding facility in Virginia, there is a lot of discussion about research in dogs. So let’s talk about that. Read more.
An Extreme Voice from the Past Resurfaces
Animal rights extremist Dr. Jerry Vlasak resurfaced earlier this summer to take part in a workshop hosted by Animal Activism Mentorship (AAM), a group which seeks to educate and influence future generations of activists. If you haven’t previously heard of Dr. Vlasak, a former trauma surgeon, that’s because he’s remained relatively silent for the past few years. He’s best known for making several incredibly dangerous and deplorable comments in the past about the “benefits” of killing health researchers who conduct research in animals. Read more.
Must Fido Pay the Price for Saving Human Lives?
For years, thousands of beagles suffered inhumane conditions at a Virginia breeding house, where they were raised as test animals for medical researchers. Now it’s being shut down and the dogs are up for adoption, raising fresh questions about the ethics of animal testing. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias investigates. Watch now.
Clifford: Misinformation campaigns against animal testing can cost human lives
We’ve all witnessed the severe, at times deadly dangers of misinformation campaigns.
False claims have fueled COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy around the globe. Nearly one-quarter of Americans remain unvaccinated and the impacts have been tragic. A Kaiser Family Foundation study released this past December estimated that between June and November of 2021, failure to vaccinate led to 163,000 U.S. deaths. During the same period, 690,000 vaccine-preventable hospitalizations occurred racking up $13.8 billion in hospital costs nationwide. Read more.