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Increasing levels of protection for animal research subjects

In the United States, there are increasing levels of protection for various animals, based roughly on how close they are to humans. See a general illustration (PDF - 148KB).

Laws governing the protection of human subjects encourage use of animal testing prior to human trials, to increase safety for human subjects. Thus animal testing cannot be restricted without decreasing the protections given human research subjects.

The greatest impact on animal subjects comes from the U.S. Principles, the Animal Welfare Act, and the PHS Policy, as interpreted by implementing regulations and the Guide published by the National Academies of Science. The Guide is the basis for inspection by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), which remains the only private organization authorized to perform voluntary compliance inspections of animal research facilities.

Prior to the Animal Welfare Act policies protecting animal research subjects had been developed and published independently by scientists and others in the laboratory animal community. The documents listed below are those currently in effect.

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Increasing levels of protection for animal research subjects

Statement by NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins on the Institute of Medicine report addressing the scientific need for the use of chimpanzees in research

The use of animals in research has enabled scientists to identify new ways to treat illness, extend life, and improve health and well-being. Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, providing exceptional insights into human biology and the need for special consideration and respect.  While used very selectively and in limited numbers for medical research, chimpanzees have served an important role in advancing human health in the past. However, new methods and technologies developed by the biomedical community have provided alternatives to the use of chimpanzees in several areas of research.  In December 2010, the National Institutes of Health commissioned a study by the Institute of Medicine to assess whether chimpanzees are or will be necessary for biomedical and behavioral research.  The IOM now has issued its findings, with a primary recommendation that the use of chimpanzees in research be guided by a set of principles and criteria. The committee proposed three principles to analyze current and potential future research using chimpanzees.

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