EARA has begun work with EARA member Novartis and the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), in Basel, Switzerland, on a pilot initiative aimed at promoting openness on animal research and building bridges between researcher and patient communities.
The recent workshop, in Basel, is part of the EARA Patient Discovery Project and is inspired by four successful patient engagement days in Portugal and the Netherlands.
The Swiss project focuses on educating patients about the critical role of animal models in medical advancements, the implications of strict regulatory controls, and the scentific risks posed by restricting the use of animals in research.
EARA events officer Nuno Gonçalves and Monia Steenackers, global director of patient engagement capability & enterprise excellence at Novartis, joined by a number of researchers and animal welfare officers from both institutions, introduced patients to the stringent welfare measures involved in neuroscience and oncology studies and included visits to both organisation’s animal facilities.
EARA and Novartis plan to expand the project in 2025 to engage different patient groups on topics such as oncology, immunology, and neurosciences.