News
Analysis: Researcher bows to extremists
By STEVE MITCHELL
UPI Senior Medical Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The recent incident of a university
researcher who ceased experiments involving monkeys due to
pressure from animal-rights extremists has the pharmaceutical
industry concerned activists could ultimately drive research
organizations out of the United States.
Animal-rights groups, however, see this as empty rhetoric
and think the movement is becoming stronger than ever.
"Our overriding concern is, if this country becomes
non-conducive to doing biomedical research, the research won't
stop but it will move offshore," Frankie Trull, president
of Foundation for Biomedical Research, a group supported by
industry, told United Press International.
"We will lose our R&D advantage and then we lose
high skilled, high-paying jobs to overseas," Trull said.
So far, no pharmaceutical companies appear to have begun
shifting their research to other countries.
"If they are, they aren't talking about it, but that
doesn't mean it's not happening or that it's not on the drawing
board," Trull said.
In the monkey research incident, Dario Ringach, a neurobiologist
at the University of California at Los Angeles, sent an e-mail
message last week to the North American Animal Liberation
Press Office informing them he would be stopping his research
involving animals.
Ringach's e-mail, obtained by UPI, reads, "You win.
Effective immediately, I am no longer doing animal research."
Ringach requested NAALPO inform animal-rights groups and
stop bothering his family.
The Primate Freedom Project, an animal-rights group based
in Los Angeles, had led protests at Ringach's home, posted
his home address and phone number on their Web site and distributed
leaflets to his neighbors informing them of his research.
The group objected to experiments Ringach was going to conduct
that, according to them, would have involved paralyzing and
killing 30 macaque monkeys.
UCLA spokeswoman Judy Lin confirmed to UPI that Ringach sent
the e-mail and released a statement from the university saying
the case "illustrates the damage to society caused by
the illegal terrorist activities of some animal rights groups."
UCLA also said it was cooperating "with the FBI and
other law enforcement agencies investigating terrorist acts
directed at university researchers."
Last month unidentified members of the Animal Liberation
Front claimed credit for attempting to leave a "Molotov
cocktail" at the home of another UCLA researcher, Lynn
Fairbanks, who also conducts experiments with monkeys.
"Research involving laboratory animals has served as
a vital cornerstone in the development of lifesaving procedures
and medicines, from vaccines to open-heart surgery, organ
transplantation to mental health treatment," UCLA said.
"To be so extreme as to use violent tactics aimed at
halting animal research is to take away hope from millions
of people with cancer, AIDS, heart disease and hundreds of
other diseases."
Jerry Vlasak, a spokesman with NAALPO, told UPI the increased
efforts from the FBI and industry to crack down on animal-rights
groups is an indication the movement is effective.
"I think it's stronger now than it's ever been despite
all of law enforcement's best intentions," Vlasak said.
"We're increasingly effective, and we're going to see
more Dario Ringachs in the future," he added.
Vlasak said that, in addition to opposing animal research
due to the pain and suffering it inflicts upon animals, he
sees the research as often unnecessary and not translating
well to humans.
He doubted industry would move their research overseas but
said that if they do, they will still encounter activists.
"Wherever they go, they will be followed," he said.
Trull said there may be other researchers like Ringach who
are intimidated by the animal-rights movement.
"So many people are afraid to speak up for fear of being
a target," Trull said. "A lot of other people have
gotten out (of animal research) but didn't want their names
used."
She said her group is aware of six researchers that have
opted out of research over the past five years due to concerns
about animal-rights groups.
"It's clearly a climate of intimidation and fear,"
Trull said. "It's inexcusable."
The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are concerned the
activists might focus more of their attention on them.
Trull said the animal-rights groups' chat rooms and Web sites
discuss making Big Pharma a primary target.
"They want to go after the biggest because that's how
they get the most attention," she said. "Some of
the big pharma companies have already felt some of this in
the U.K.," she said.
Her group is urging Congress to act on the Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act, which she says would improve law-enforcement
officials' ability to thwart animal-rights extremists. The
legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate.
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