Pharma labels should feature stamped information about whether or not the drugs they relate to were tested on animals, it has been claimed.
Lord Robert Winston said in a House of Lords debate that members of the public are unaware of the benefits that testing on animals can have, saying it would be "unthinkable" to take medication that had not been properly trialled first.
He criticised medical research institutions for being "ashamed" of animal testing and insisted that there is no better substitute.
"Animal research has contributed hugely to physiological medical research in virtually every field. There is a case for having legislation to make it clear that a particular drug has only been possible for human consumption because of animal testing," Lord Winston commented.
He insisted that conditions for laboratory animals in Britain are better than in almost any other jurisdiction.
The British Royal Society also argues that vivisection is necessary, as almost all of the medical achievements in the 20th century required animal testing in some way.
Denny Bros Ltd, 01 November 2011
