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Animal research saves lives. So why do opponents say it is ineffective?
One of the most common statistics used by activists to justify why animal research should be phased out, or banned, is the frequently-quoted claim that ‘90% of animal tests are ineffective’. EARA discusses the truths and mistruths behind this statement and its variations.
News
Features
Study in chicks reveals causes of deafness from birth
Scientists from the UK and the US have uncovered new genetic clues to congenital deafness using chick embryos. Congenital hearing loss -...
Inês Serrenho
Apr 281 min read
New 'vaccine' can reduce asthma symptoms in mice
US researchers have developed a ‘vaccine’ that successfully reduced allergic reactions in mice with asthma for up to a year  after...
Inês Serrenho
Apr 281 min read
Feature: How animal studies contributed to biomedical breakthroughs in 2024
As EARA prepares for the annual Be Open About Animal Research Day (#BOARD25) to be held on Tuesday, 3 June, we look back at how...
Bob Tolliday
Apr 239 min read
Innovative gel helps muscle cells grow - mice study
UK researchers have successfully grown human muscle tissue within mice using a gel-based transplant method. The team at Queen Mary...
Inês Serrenho
Apr 71 min read
Reducing blood pressure and anxiety in mice
US researchers have identified brain cells (neurons) in mice that, when activated with light, can significantly reduce both blood...
Nuno Gonçalves
Apr 71 min read
40 reasons why animals are needed – updated EARA page
EARA has updated its popular website information page 40 reasons why animals are needed for biomedical research , which presents...
Gege Li
Feb 171 min read
When will animals be replaced in research? - EARA feature
EARA has published a feature looking at the current status of alternative methods to animals in safety testing, and exploring what this...
Gege Li
Dec 2, 20241 min read
EARA feature – What are non-technical summaries (NTS)?
An article  by EARA, that explains the important role that non-technical summaries (NTS) play in improving transparency and openness...
Nuno Gonçalves
Sep 16, 20241 min read
5% of animal studies lead to human treatments – failure or success?
A scientific review of the progress of animal studies through to human trials and drug development, which showed that just one in 20...
Nuno Gonçalves
Jun 24, 20243 min read
Animal use in rare disease research – EARA feature
EARA has published its latest feature on how animal research is used in the study of disease – this time, rare diseases, which have been...
Gege Li
Jun 17, 20241 min read
EARA 10th anniversary: Why EARA was founded
In 2013, a meeting was organised in Brussels by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) to discuss...
Bob Tolliday
Jun 12, 20243 min read
Feature: How animal studies contributed to biomedical breakthroughs in 2023
The progress that scientists made in advancing our knowledge of human health last year has once again shown the continuing importance of...
Bob Tolliday
Apr 24, 20247 min read
How small mammals are used in research – EARA feature
EARA has published its latest feature about small mammals used in biomedical research, looking at species such as rabbits, guinea pigs,...
Gege Li
Feb 26, 20241 min read
Is 'Rat Trap' a fair summary of why we use animals in research?
n her new book, author Pandora Pound sets out why the scientifically accepted justification for using animals in biomedical research is...
The European Animal Research Association
Nov 17, 20234 min read
Using animals in infectious disease research – EARA feature
EARA has published a new feature article on the role of animal research in the understanding and treatment of a range of infectious...
Gege Li
Nov 13, 20231 min read
A decade of dialogue – EARA gains its 150th member
The European Animal Research Association (EARA) has now welcomed its 150th member institution, and to mark this achievement, EARA senior...
Gege Li
Oct 11, 20237 min read
500 biomedical institutions in Europe have signed a National Transparency Agreement
The need to foster open and transparent communication with the general public, about the benefits to society of using animals in...
The European Animal Research Association
Sep 12, 202311 min read
The need for animals in brain research – EARA feature
Marking the recent World Brain Day, EARA has updated its feature on the vital contribution of animals to neuroscience and brain research,...
Gege Li
Jul 31, 20231 min read
EARA feature – Animals in cancer studies
EARA has published a new feature article looking at the use of animals in cancer research, and the breakthroughs in understanding and...
Gege Li
May 29, 20231 min read
How zebrafish contribute to biomedical research
EARA has published a feature article on the use of zebrafish in biomedical research and their increasing use over other animals. The...
Gege Li
Apr 11, 20231 min read
FDA Modernization Act 2.0 – what, if anything, has changed in US regulations?
New legislation in the US has been hailed by animal rights groups as a ban on animal testing – in reality, very little has changed. EARA...
The European Animal Research Association
Mar 9, 20236 min read
How pig studies aid biomedical research
EARA has published a feature article on the use of pigs in biomedical research summarising the role they have played in scientific and...
Gege Li
Feb 27, 20231 min read
Being sustainable in biomedical research
As debate about climate change and sustainability concludes at COP27, what can the biomedical community do to address these concerns?...
Bob Tolliday
Nov 18, 20222 min read
Opinion: Animal research under threat in Germany
Animal research is under threat in Germany. It’s time for the government to take charge! German legal experts* Klaus Gärditz and Matthias...
Bob Tolliday
Mar 29, 20224 min read
Feature: Animal research saves lives. So why do opponents say it is ineffective?
One of the most common statistics used by activists to justify why animal research should be phased-out, or banned, is the...
Bob Tolliday
Feb 3, 20229 min read
Animals in neuroscience research
Insights into the use of monkeys and mice in neuroscience research have been highlighted in a video produced by EARA member Ernst...
Ana Barros
Jul 12, 20211 min read
Getting vaccine facts straight
EARA has publicly challenged the false claims, about Covid-19 vaccine testing, made in the media by animal rights activists. In a letter...
Bob Tolliday
Jun 4, 20211 min read
Opinion: Trying to make sense of animal sentience – the first task for the UK Parliament
The UK government’s proposal to legislate on what constitutes a ‘sentient being’ could create more problems than it solves. Ann Furedi,...
Bob Tolliday
May 20, 20214 min read
China's ban on research monkey exports hits vaccine testing
An article has appeared in the Spanish publication Quo setting out the concerns of the European biomedical community about the current...
Bob Tolliday
Feb 18, 20216 min read
Feature: Making vaccines safe - animal testing plays a vital part
While basic research using animals gave scientists a greater understanding of the Covid-19 virus, such as its structure and genetic...
Bob Tolliday
Dec 22, 20205 min read
Visit us at FENS
EARA will be among the exhibitors at the online FENS Forum 2020, starting this Saturday. Visit us at the Consortium for Public Outreach...
Ana Barros
Jul 6, 20201 min read
Crisis plans help animal facilities respond to the coronavirus pandemic
Andreas Lengeling, the animal research and welfare officer for the Max Planck Society, in Germany, looks at the steps many institutions...
Ana Barros
Apr 11, 20203 min read
Coronavirus: Activist groups keep silent on animal research
EARA research has revealed a notable absence of calls to ban animal research from activist groups during the coronavirus crisis. In an...
Ana Barros
Mar 23, 20201 min read
Drug trial breakthrough shows that Ebola is ‘no longer incurable’
EARA Executive Director, Kirk Leech, looks at the remarkable progress in biomedical research in the search for a cure for Ebola virus...
Ana Barros
Sep 18, 20194 min read
A look back at recent biomedical breakthroughs thanks to animal research
On the eve of Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD 18 April), EARA looks back at some of the important medical advances over the last...
mburberry8
Apr 17, 20192 min read
Why Belgium still needs animal testing in the fight against cancer
In a piece first published in the Belgian news magazine Knack (in Dutch), Prof. Damya Laoui, from the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology...
Bob Tolliday
Feb 28, 20194 min read
The peaceful but insidious tactics of animal rights groups in Portugal
This article was originally published by Inês S. Albuquerque on the Speaking of Research website. Speaking of Research aims to provide...
Bob Tolliday
Jan 8, 20195 min read
We aren’t sadists, but we do animal research
A group of young, ambitious Belgian scientists have had enough of standing by doing nothing while animal research is criticised in the...
Bob Tolliday
Jan 8, 20194 min read
Research with dogs develops an artificial pancreas to treat diabetes
White Coat Waste is a conservative animal rights organization devoted to the elimination of animal research. Its first target is...
Bob Tolliday
Jan 8, 20195 min read
Ebola vaccine in use thanks to ‘curiosity-driven’ basic research
There was no known widespread outbreaks of Ebola when the vaccine was developed 15 years ago using animals, says Kirk Leech, EARA...
Bob Tolliday
Nov 11, 20182 min read
A trans-Atlantic transparency gap on animal experiments
This article was originally published in Science on 14 July 2017 The launch last month of a website called LabAnimalTour.org, which...
Bob Tolliday
Jul 14, 20171 min read
Sometimes My Job Seems Like a Secret
This article was originally published by Amy Davidson BSc (Hons), MBA, RQAP-GLP. Amy is Vice President, Operations at Kingfisher...
Bob Tolliday
Feb 13, 20153 min read
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