Animal experiments are commonly used to develop new medicines and test product safety. In 2005 in Europe, over 12 million animals were used in testing. While animal experiments have led to treatments for diseases, they cause suffering and reduce animal quality of life. There is debate around the necessity, usefulness, costs, and morality of animal testing when alternatives may be available such as non-animal models, clinical research, and epidemiological studies. Reducing animal use, refining techniques to minimize suffering, and replacing animals when possible are advocated approaches known as the Three Rs.

2. Animal
experiments are
widely used to
develop new
medicines and to
test the safety of
other products.

3. Many of these experiments cause pain to the
animals involved or reduce their quality of
life in other ways.

4. Types of vertebrates usedTypes of vertebrates used
in animal testing in Europein animal testing in Europe
in 2005: a total of 12.1in 2005: a total of 12.1
million animals were used.million animals were used.

5. Animal testing is used for:
● Toxicology testing
● Cosmetics testing
● Drug testing
● Education, breeding, and defense
● Xenotransplantation
● Studies on models of naturally occurring
disease and condition.

7. In favor of animal experiments:
● Treatments made possible by animal testing, including
cancer and HIV drugs, insulin, etc.
● Animal testing helps to ensure the safety of drugs and
many other substances humans use
● Human harm is reduced and human lives are saved
● Using computer models cannot always predict
unknown variables that can be discovered with animal
testing.

8. Against animal experiments:
● Morality. It causes suffering to animals.
● Necessity. The benefits to human beings are
not proven.
● Usefulness. Testing could be produced in
other ways.
● The costs. The housing, feeding and
treatments of the animals is very expensive.

9. Alternatives to animal testing
● Epidemiological studies
● Clinical research
● Genetic research
● In vitro studies
● Stem cell research
● In Silica Research
● Advanced art models

10. Ethical arithmetics
● Not all scientists are convinced that these
tests are valid and useful.
● The three categories of alternative techniques
in research and testing named 3 R's
● Animal experiments only benefit human
beings if their results are valid and can be
applied to human beings.

11. The 3 Rs
● Reduction
● Refinement
● Replacement

12. Reduction
● Improving experimental techniques
● Improving techniques of data analysis
● Sharing information with other
researchers

13. Refinement
● Using less invasive techniques
● Better medical care
● Better living conditions

14. Replacement
● Experimenting on cell cultures instead
of whole animals
● Using computer models
● Studying human volunteers
● Using epidemiological studies