Activists oppose AstraZeneca animal research centre

Animal-rights activists have objected to plans by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to establish an animal research centre in Cambridge.

In a statement published on 13 November, the National Anti-Vivisection Society said that very little information was provided in AstraZeneca’s plans about the animal research facilities and about how the welfare of animals would be protected. There is also no information about how the company intends to work towards ending the use of animals in research in line with the aims of an EU directive on animal experiments, the NAVS said.

“The NAVS urges the company to disclose details and, if the proposals go ahead, to use what will be a state-of-the-art facility to champion and the cutting-edge alternatives that are leading to real scientific progress, and to end its use of outdated and fundamentally flawed animal experiments,” Jan Creamer, NAVS president, said.