xenotransplantation
The largest amount of data about animal experiments in UK laboratories that has ever been made public was recently released after a judge overturned an injunction against publication of the material. The 1,274 pages provide detailed accounts of attempts made from 1994 to 2000 by Government-sanctioned Huntingdon Life Sciences, the largest laboratory research firm in Europe, to perfect methods of creating animals from which organs can be safely transplanted into human beings. The documents refer to the transplanting of genetically modified pigs’ hearts and kidneys into monkeys.

It revealed many sordid cases of unimaginable suffering, and one previously confidential paper which reveals how the Home Office worked with Imutran – the former British subsidiary of multi-million drug giant Novartis, which was in control of the programme – to underestimate the suffering caused by the most severe experiments.

An Imutran report states: ‘The Home Office will attempt to get the kidney transplants classified as “moderate”, ensuring that it is easier for Imutran to receive a licence and ignoring the “severe” nature of these programmes.’

Other striking findings reveal that the Government approved Imutran’s xenotransplanation experiments with the intention of using sick babies as the first trial patients for animal heart transplants.

In total, the documents reveal at least 520 errors and omissions in the Imutran research. These include organ weights not being recorded, a quadruple overdose, conflicting pathology reports and re-use of animals. One primate was killed when a swab was left inside it.

Other reference: Animal News Center