Animal research sheds light on basic biological processes, thus providing an indispensable basis for the development of new treatments. SNSF-funded research projects are at the cutting edge of their field in terms of both scientific knowledge and technology. Projects that are methodologically obsolete or based on scientifically irrelevant animal models are not supported. To enable meaningful conclusions, the animals should be restricted in their natural behaviour as little as possible.
In keeping with these high standards for research projects, the SNSF also adheres to the 3R principles. According to these principles, wherever possible researchers should pursue alternative options to animal testing (“replace”), use as few animals as possible (“reduce”) and minimise the distress that they suffer (“refine”).
Stringent Swiss standards
Animal protection laws in Switzerland are very strict compared with other countries. All animal testing must be approved by a cantonal animal testing commission. These commissions have a legislative mandate to weigh the probable suffering of the animals against the possible benefits to humans of the knowledge gained from the animal testing. The SNSF only funds experiments approved by the animal testing commissions.
For animal testing conducted abroad, the SNSF also requires appropriate, country-specific approval that is comparable to Swiss standards. At the same time, the SNSF wishes to ensure that animal testing can continue in Switzerland and not be outsourced to research institutions in other countries.
3R principles
According to their legislative mandate, animal testing commissions approve research projects only when they adhere to the 3R principles (“replace, reduce, refine”). If the research problem can be addressed using alternative approaches (“replace”), the project is rejected. If the testing is not or only partially replaceable, the number of animals must be kept as low as possible (“reduce”) and the suffering inflicted on them must be kept to a minimum (“refine”).
The SNSF supports the 3R principles through its emphasis on the scientific quality of the funded research projects. Today, the majority of projects involving animal testing also employ alternative methods such as cell cultures or computer simulations – the most common alternatives to animal testing at present. Many of the projects funded by the SNSF in biology and medicine use no animal testing at all.
Developing new methods is not the SNSF’s main concern. Its funding activities are focused on hypothesis-driven research. Alternatives to animal testing may be discovered in the context of such research work. To advance the targeted development of 3R methods, the Federal government, the Swiss higher education institutions and the private sector jointly finance the 3R Competence Centre (3RCC), which was previously funded by the 3R Research Foundation.
Animal research
Although most biomedical researchers also use other methods, animal testing is indispensable in understanding health and disease in living systems. The complex interplay of different tissues, cell types and signalling pathways can often only be understood at the level of the whole organism. This research towards a fundamental understanding of life thus forms the knowledge base for the development of drugs and therapies over a period of many years. These therapies may only be tested in humans after the legally prescribed animal testing.
In addition to the primary benefits for humans, animal testing also increases knowledge of species protection and behavioural biology, and enables optimised husbandry and breeding conditions for farm animals as well as treatment options for pets.
Cantonal animal testing commissions
The ethical trade-offs between the probable suffering of experimental animals and the expected benefits for humans are assessed by the cantonal animal testing commissions. They are made up of members who are independent of the applicants: experts on the keeping of animals, animal protectionists, researchers and laypeople. In contrast, the SNSF Research Council is composed exclusively of active researchers who judge the scientific quality of research proposals. The composition of the animal testing commissions therefore better represents the values of society.
The SNSF deliberately refrains from making its own additional ethical assessment of the animal testing. This dual, independent assessment of all animal testing guarantees both scientific quality and fulfilment of the prescribed criteria for animal welfare and complies with the legal mandates of both institutions.
Guidelines and laws
Animal testing in Switzerland is very strictly regulated compared with the rest of the world. Researchers must demonstrate to the cantonal animal testing commissions that the expected gain in scientific knowledge justifies any suffering caused. Researchers and animal carers must complete a specific training course and attend annual continuing education courses, and must issue a yearly report to the cantonal veterinary office on the use of all experimental animals. Researchers must also adhere to the ethical guidelines of the Ethics Committee for Animal Experimentation of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) and the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT).
Animal Research Statistics
All animal testing conducted in Switzerland using vertebrates, cephalopods and crayfish requires a permit and is reported in the annual statistics of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV). All animal testing is assigned a grade of severity from 0 (e.g. for observational studies) to 3 for severe stress (e.g. implanting aggressive tumours). The majority of animals (over 60 percent) are used in basic research and are mainly subject to no or very little stress (severity grades 0 and 1 together over 70 percent).