Tragic incident in animal testing by Kathy Archibald

ANIMAL TESTING
Section: letters
In light of the Northwick Park clinical trial disaster - where six young men were nearly killed by a drug 'proven safe' in monkeys - it is clear that we need to review the practice of assessing drug safety in animals, superior methods are available which could better protect clinical trial volunteers and, ultimately, the public from side-effects of prescription drugs: currently our fourth leading killer. Tests involving human tissue could have predicted the disaster, where monkeys failed so tragically.
Thanks in large part to Ecologist readers, 234 MPs have signed Early Day Motion 92, calling for a scientific evaluation of animal testing. This historic EDM closes in November, so if you have not sent a postcard/email/fax/ letter to your MP (details at www.curedisease.net <http://www.curedisease.net>), please hurry! Now is the last chance to boost parliamentary support for this urgently-needed evaluation - and to show it is not just a minority of extremists who doubt the value of animal testing.
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