Physicians Committee Scientist Publishes a Lay Article on Bias that Favors the Use of Animal Experiments

Study in a Sentence: A new publication led by Physicians Committee scientist, Catharine E. Krebs, PhD, provides an introductory overview of the bias toward animal experimentation, or animal methods bias.

Healthy for Humans: Nonanimal research approaches are becoming a crucial tool for biomedical research and drug development because they can mimic complex human physiological states and therapeutic responses, and are increasingly effective and accessible, while offering the ability to replace animals in many applications. Despite advantages, acceptance of these methods has been slow, due to barriers to their broader uptake, including animal methods bias: the preference for animal-based methods where they are not necessary or where animal-free methods are suitable.

Redefining Research: Animal methods bias affects the fair assessment of nonanimal studies for publication or funding, restricting the communication and uptake of these powerful approaches, and standing in the way of improved predictions of human outcomes. This new publication delves further into the concept of animal methods bias, providing an overview of current evidence, how it impacts research assessments, and ongoing efforts to mitigate its harmful effects on human health research.