The aim of medical research is to help promote and improve health and to prevent and treat disease. Research involving animals has contributed to understanding how the body functions in health and disease and to the development of modern medicines and surgical procedures.
Some people are very concerned about the use of animals in medical research. The PSP Association acknowledges this concern and would like to see future advances made without research involving animals. Whilst most medical research involves techniques such as test-tube and cell culture work, computer simulations, clinical trials, human tissue analyses and epidemiological surveys, The PSP notes that at present, some research relies on animal based studies.
To date The PSP Association has funded no research involving animals and will only fund research involving the use of animals where no viable alternative exists. Research must then be carried out according to best practice as laid down in legislation and must have regard to animal welfare and advances in the refinement, replacement and reduction of animal use.
The PSP Association endorses the AMRC Statement on the Use of Animals in Medical Research.