Animal Testing and Animal Experimentation Issues

The replacement of animal testing and animal experimentation with nonanimal techniques often yields both ethical and technical advantages. Clinical, epidemiological, and pathological investigations remain the foundation of research on human disease. Although animals are often used when ethical or practical issues have precluded the study of humans, the evolving scientific understanding of the complexity of animals and of their social and psychological needs underscores longstanding ethical concerns about their use in laboratory science.

In some areas, such as medical education, the shift to nonanimal methods has been rapid. Pharmaceutical manufacturers have incorporated nonanimal methods in several early steps in the drug development process. In other areas, technical or regulatory barriers present continuing challenges.