Animal research

We only use primates in circumstances where no other species or non-animal methods can provide the safety or clinical benefit information that we are seeking in a study, and where the outcomes of the study are likely to bring sufficiently significant advances for the development of new medicines.

Our entry into biologics in 2006/7 means that we will be increasing our primate use over time, particularly in the development of monoclonal antibodies targeted at important areas such as cancer and respiratory disease. Monoclonal antibodies are highly specific to human physiology, so primates are in most cases the only relevant animal model because of their similarity to humans.  

Primates currently represent less than 1% of our animal use, and as our primate use increases, we expect it still to remain at less than 1% of the total.

Our newly strengthened global Bioethics Policy sets out the principles that are driving consistent best practice across our primate research worldwide. As part of this, we are working towards the adoption of global standards for the housing and care of primates, based on the principles of the Revised Appendix A of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes.  This Appendix reflects current European best practice for primate housing and accommodation and gives guidance on providing for the environmental, behavioural and social needs of primates in a laboratory setting.

The majority of our primate research is conducted on our behalf by internationally recognised external centres and we aim to ensure that, by 2012, all our approved partners meet our requirements.  This means working with these organisations to determine the levels of compliance they are able to deliver and, if appropriate, helping them to make any necessary improvements. In line with our Bioethics Policy, AstraZeneca will always directly inspect any facility that conducts studies using primates.

In 2008, we announced a strategic alliance with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) in China to conduct pre-clinical drug safety evaluation studies that will involve primates. This alliance further establishes AstraZeneca’s presence in China, and will support us in our efforts to bring new medicines to patients around the world.  We will provide SIMM with expertise to assist in the design, construction and operation of a new safety evaluation unit (due for completion by end 2010) that complies with our Policy and standards for primate use. The unit will be dedicated to AstraZeneca research and independently accredited.  

AstraZeneca does not conduct or outsource work using wild caught primates or great ape species.  In the future, in the rare case where there is no credible alternative model, exceptions may be considered but this will require rigorous secondary ethical and scientific review – in addition to our normal review processes – to challenge the need for the study, followed by appropriate Board level approval.

The content of this page was externally assured by Bureau Veritas, February 2009