Animals in Research

AAI supports the humane use of animals in biomedical research.  Such research has led to significant advances in both animal and human health.  For example, animal research has a played a role in the development of vaccines for HPV/cervical cancer, polio, and smallpox.

It’s equally important that animal research be conducted in a humane and ethical manner, making oversight critical.  At the federal level, animal research is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA), which enforces the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and the Public Health Service (PHS), which requires institutions to comply with the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.  Within institutions, animal research is overseen by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

In addition, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), “a private, non-profit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals,” provides voluntary accreditation and assessment programs.  Over 950 institutions have received AAALAC accreditation to date. Irving Coy Allen, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S. serves as the AAI Member Organization Representative to AAALAC.

AAI is also a member of the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), a non-profit organization “dedicated solely to advocating for sound public policy that recognizes the vital role animals play in biomedical research.”

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