There is a 3.5% reduction in the use of rodents in single-dose acute toxicity tests
The number of animals being used to test the safety of human and veterinary products in Europe is falling, says new research. 
Photo: Sanja Gjenero
A review by 18 pharmaceutical companies and the UK's NC3Rs, the National Centre for the replacement, refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, showed a 3.5% reduction in the use of rodents in single-dose acute toxicity tests. EFPIA, the European human pharmaceutical industry association, also supported the study.
The review authors challenged the need for these tests following changes to the development process of new medicines. The analysis, from 2003 to 2007, showed that the toxicity test, which can affect animals significantly, was now redundant as the information obtained from it had little or no value in assessing the risk to humans. It has been used to identify the dose that causes major toxic effects.
The reduction amounts to a total number of 15,000 animals in toxicity testing of new medicines. AstraZeneca's Dr Sally Robinson, the leader of the review, said: "While we recognize that this reduction represents a small proportion of the total, it is an important step in the right direction."
Dr Kathryn Chapman, co-ordinator of NC3Rs, an independent scientific organization set up in 2004, says the next step is to press for changes to the regulations that require this test to be carried out.
The review has been published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.
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