The Swiss vote on Sunday to ban medical tests on animals

The Swiss go to the polls on Sunday to vote on whether their country will be the first in the world to ban medical animal testing altogether, as the proposal by animal rights activists had enough support to hold a referendum in Switzerlandwhich has a huge pharmaceutical industry.

More than 550,000 animals died in laboratory tests in 2020 in Switzerland, according to government statistics. The number includes 400,000 mice and rats, nearly 4,600 dogs, 1,500 cats and 1,600 horses. Primary mammals, cows, pigs, fish and birds also died during and after trials.

“It’s hard and unnecessary to test animals and I’m sure we can develop drugs without them,” he said. Renato Verdleydoctor from northeastern Switzerland launched this initiative under the Swiss system of direct democracy. The result of the referendum will be binding.

However, the ban is not expected to be voted on, to alleviate the pharmaceutical industry, which has warned that the move will halt the development of new drugs and force companies and researchers to relocate abroad.

“We should not exploit animals for our own selfish purposes,” he said. Verdleyadding that research methods such as biomicrocircuits (biochip) – small chips that host a host of chemical reactions – computer simulations or human dosing are much more effective than animal tests.

The association of pharmaceutical companies Interpharma claims that the industry, which includes companies such as Roche and the Novartiscontributes 9% to the Swiss economy including indirect revenues, and produces almost half of Swiss exports.

The reactions of the pharmaceutical companies

THE Interpharma leads the reactions from the industry, saying that it would be disastrous to adopt these proposals.

“Pharmaceutical research, clinical trials in hospitals and basic research in universities will no longer be possible,” he said. Rene Buchholzerits CEO Interpharma.

Leading pharmaceutical companies have said that banning animal testing could lead to the end of new drugs.

“I think you’ve seen it in its day Covid how important it is to discover new vaccines, how important new drugs are. “And they have been tested on animals,” said its chief executive Idorsia Jean-Paul Klozel in the Reuters.

THE Maris van de Brook of University of Zurich conducts research, implanting tumors in mice to study how their immune systems can be strengthened to fight cancer.

“Because we do not understand even 10% of the processes that take place in a tumor, it is impossible to use computer models or cell culture to understand the complex biology of cancer,” he said.

Before scientists can start an animal experiment, they must prove that there is no alternative and that their research is important.

“We use about 750 mice a year. “At the end of the experiment, everything dies, but there is no other alternative,” she said. “Without this particular experiment, we would not be able to develop therapies that save lives.”

According to the latest polls, only 26% of voters are in favor of the ban and 68% are against.

THE Switzerland conducts referendums four times a year, with them Swiss last year in favor of the government restricting the coronavirus and approving same-sex marriage.

THE Renato Verdley said that this campaign has raised awareness of the plight of laboratory animals and continues to hope that this effort will be successful. “I hope we can finally change the Switzerland “to be a positive example for the rest of the world to help stop animals suffering,” he said.

Source: News Beast

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