Every year, thousands of animals suffer and die due to experiments conducted behind the hallowed walls of laboratories around the world, supposedly seeking to enhance the human beings’ longevity, minimise their pain and find a cure for their ailments.
The most intelligent species on this planet earth, in their single minded quest for self preservation, had taken the lesser of the beings for granted by seeking the Darwinian help in making this deeply ‘philosophical’, so called morally defensible rather a self-indulgent argument ‘Without humans there are no animals. Without human beings there is no earth, as we know of it now.’
As the world commemorates the World Day for Animals in Laboratories on Wednesday( April 24) and the surrounding week that had come to be known as the ‘World week for Animals in Laboratories, City Express checked out the pulse of opinion which prevails on this issue amongst the Veterinarians, drug researcher, Animals activists and of course the common man.
The words of Dr S Chinny Krishna, a member of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Co-Founder and Former Chairman of Blue Cross of India and the current Vice Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India, puts the spotlight on the state of affairs of companies and institutions who use animals for testing in laboratories in India.
Speaking to City Express, he said, “There are over five thousand labs doing experiments on animals in India. Over two thousand are Government labs and educational institutions. The law requires that these be registered with the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) Yet we have just over 2,000 labs registered. The law as is, is toothless as far as penalties are concerned.”
The Central Government, in exercise of the powers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 has constituted a Committee for the Purpose of Controlling and Supervising Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) with effect from February 23, 1996. As per the law, the companies and institutions which are testing their drugs on animals should be registered with them.
On the other hand, Dr Rajan, a veterinarian and who is into drug research had his own take on this.
He said, “As far as I know all the big Pharma and Biotechnology companies who are into R&D strictly follow the guidelines laid down by the Drug controller General of India. We cannot do any research with out the approval of CPCSEA. We also have an in house Institutional Animal ethics committee.”
However, Dr Chinny Krishna was of the opinion that the The Drug Controller requires many unnecessary experiments and manufacturers must necessarily do them even if they know they are not needed. “While I could not say that there have been no positive fall-outs from animal experimentation, I can only say that we could have reached the same point without animal experiments,” he said.
Dr Rajan countered it by saying , “Well, now with the in-silico computer generated models to test the efficacy of certain molecules or compounds by feeding the data. But as of now they are limited in their own ways. We still have to depend on animals to generate the kind of results by the clinical trails before the drug can be given for human population.” But he was hopeful that the day will come, when computer generated models can overtake the testing bit and animal testing will come to an end. Till that happens, he is strongly convinced that animal testing have to go on.
Dr Gambetta Da Costa, a Veterinarian who has been in the field of treating wild animals for close to three decades said, “Drug testing on animals as it stands today, cannot be done away with. In terms of drug discovery, many medical breakthroughs were possible only with that.” However, he had his reservations about dogs being used on drug testing. He said, “I have no problem with mice, hamsters and other rodents being used for drug testing as they can be genetically bred. Even in monkeys, some drugs had to be tested on them, as their genetic makeup is very close to humans. But all I would say is spare the ‘Dog’. They are man’s best friend. Dealing with wild animals and others for the past 28 years, I think dogs are the only animals, who completely connect with man. They have souls.”
Now after suffering all the brutal pain, side effects and artificially induced disease conditions most of the animals which were used in testing, were unceremoniously killed, euphemistically speaking put to sleep. Dr Rajan said, “Some of the animals can definitely be rehabilitated. The CPCSEA can come up with some guidelines on how to rehabilitate these animals which are used in drug testing.” The level of public awareness about animals being used in drug testing is very poor. A random Google search to find any awareness event happening in India around the World week on Animals in Laboratory will lead you nowhere.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of organisations like the Blue Cross of India, who was the first animal welfare organisation in India to raise their voice against animals in drug testing with a proper anti- vivisection agenda. Because of their consistent efforts the government of India set up the CPCSEA in 1964. How functional it is again debatable.
Sarala, an IT professional said, “I had a vague idea that drugs get tested on animals. But never really had an insight on the sufferings they go through. If there is a alternative way of testing drugs I am sure the researchers and the pharma/ Biotech companies should explore them.”
Sarvesh, a banker too agrees with Sarala, “ It is tight rope walk. We humans need drugs to fight our diseases. But the way these animals are tortured it is quite sad. We are living in times with such scientific breakthroughs, if only they put their heart, mind and soul in it, I am sure the scientific community should be able to come with alternatives for drug testing. I hope that happens soon.”