On 20 June 2014, the President of the Academy of Medical Sciences responded to the editorial by Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of The BMJ, on ‘How predictive and productive is animal research?’
In his letter, the President highlighted his concerns with the Editorial’s conclusion that “preclinical animal research should not be endorsed or funded because results produced by animal models poorly predict human drug responses”. He emphasised that the use of animals in research extends beyond preclinical testing of drug safety: such research has been central to furthering our knowledge of the systems underpinning health and disease and has ultimately contributed to some of the great advances in both human and animal medicine.
The President acknowledged the issue of reproducibility in research, including in animal studies, and the challenge of predicting human outcomes from animal research. He also recognised the need to develop model systems that better emulate human physiology and responses to treatment. However, he stressed that robust animal research remains vital to improving human and animal health and that support for such studies is essential.
Letter to BMJ Editor regarding article on animal research