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news release

Anti-vivisectionists condemn "spin and distortion" by animal research lobby group

Over a million people sign up for the abolition of animal experiments

An opinion poll published by a new pro-vivisection lobby group has been condemned as another example of the spin and distortion employed by defenders of animal research. The survey purports to show public acceptance of animal experiments. Uncaged Campaigns, one of the country's leading anti-vivisection groups, accuses the lobby group "Coalition for Medical Progress" of being a thinly-disguised front for the commercial interests of the drug industry.

Uncaged Campaigns has been fighting a two and a half year legal battle to overturn an injunction preventing publication of leaked documents which reveal the horrific fate of higher primates in cross-species organ transplant research. Director and co-litigant Dan Lyons, observes:

"The multi-billion pound drug industry has consistently sought to promote animal research in the UK to protect its profits. It has fought to prevent an open debate while feeding the public a lie about 'strict regulation' and 'harmless, yet necessary' experiments on animals. This poll is worthless because the questions are based on fantasy. Animal experiments involve the incarceration, poisoning, mutiliation, infliction of disease and killing of millions of animals in the UK every year. That's why over a million people in this country have signed our petition calling for the abolition of vivisection."

One example of an average UK experiment, in terms of pain and distress, saw piglet hearts transplanted into the necks of wild-caught baboons. This caused tremendous suffering with one animal, for example, being observed holding the transplant which was swollen, red and seeping yellow fluid for several days before the primate was sacrificed.

Dan Lyons continues:

"Our own experience has revealed to us the ruthless dishonesty of the vivisection industry in its desire to hide the suffering of animals in research while grossly hyping the potential benefits of animal experiments. They know that the truth about animal experiments is that it is a vicious, brutal and crude practice - that's why they are so desperate to block public access to information about vivisection."

For further information and interviews, call Dan Lyons on 0114 272 2220 or 07799 117695.

Note to editors

One of the main focusses of Uncaged Campaigns is analysis of the ethical and political/regulatory issues surrounding animal experiments. Last year, Dan Lyons received legal aid on account of the public interest in the court case versus Imutran and Novartis Pharma, based on evidence of misleading statements from Imutran/Novartis and misconduct by the Home Office in its regulation of the experiments.

Related links:

• Vivisection - the facts
• Xenotransplantation
• Diaries of Despair website

Uncaged Campaigns 19.03.03