independent committee set up to scrutinise non-human primate use in medical research
24 March 2005
A study to examine the scientific basis for using non-human primates in biological and medical research was launched on 23 March 2005. The working group, set up by the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, will assess the justification for primate use and whether alternatives such as genetically modified mice or computer modelling could be used instead.
Members of the working group will be drawn from outside the non-human primate research community, and will include a broad range of scientific expertise, as well as lay representatives. The group has invited all interested parties to submit evidence, as part of the study.
About 3,000 primates are used in experiments in the UK each year. The majority are used in toxicology tests as part of new drug development. Chimpanzees are no longer used in medical research.
The report is expected to be published in spring 2006.
