We’re delighted to welcome another brand new member, Chris Williamson MP for Derby North, to EDM 22’s call for properly moderated public scientific debates about the claims that the results from animal experiments can ‘predict’ the responses of human patients. This question of the claimed predictive value of animal experiments for human patients is increasingly becoming the focus of leading scientific journals: in June this year the Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal published ‘Editors Choice’ titled ‘How Predictive and Productive is Animal Research?‘ and concluded by citing the paper it quoted:
“If research conducted on animals continues to be unable to reasonably predict what can be expected in humans, the public’s continuing endorsement and funding of preclinical animal research seems misplaced”.
EDM 22’s debate conditions have been endorsed by Britain’s foremost human rights defence barrister Michael Mansfield QC – currently representing the Hillsborough families. The EDM’s call for debates is unique because a panel of judges will be present who will include experts from the fields of clinical medicine, complexity/chaos theory, philosophy of science, evolutionary biology, clinical research, drug development, and basic research. The debate conditions are specifically designed to achieve a scientific result which can be submitted as evidence in a wider legal action as well as to government bodies, in order to change now demonstrably outdated laws. The significance of this is in sharp contrast to the more casual ‘vote on line’ or show of hands at the end of previous debates.
Locate your MP quickly! Visit this link to send a letter today, asking him/her to sign EDM 22 in support of this groundbreaking medical initiative.