Lush Prize Recognizes Physicians Committee Lobbying to Replace Animals in Testing

Awardees are given a hand-made hare statue to signify the prize's emphasis on "fighting animal testing". Pictured are Kristie Sullivan, MPH, Physicians Committee's vice president for research policy, Sara Amundsen, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Catherine Willett, PhD, Humane Society of the United States.

We are excited to announce that, together with our partners, the Physicians Committee has won the Lush Lobbying Prize, which is awarded each year to organizations or individuals “pushing for change, focusing on policy interventions promoting the use of alternatives.” This award acknowledges our work with the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund on the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21^st Century. This bill, which was enacted into law in June 2016, contains the first ever national United States requirement for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and chemical companies to consider and use alternatives to animals in chemical testing. The EPA is also required to create a strategic plan to replace and reduce animal tests, provide incentives to use non-animal alternatives, and report regularly to Congress on its progress.

Eighteen winners from all over the world are being honored for their contributions to end animal testing in science, public awareness, training, and lobbying at an awards gala in London, the evening of Friday, Nov. 10. The lobbying award prize totals 50,000 British pounds and will be shared among the three organizations.

The Lautenberg Act signals a new direction in chemical assessment, in which human-relevant test methods and approaches are required to be used, developed, and promoted by the EPA and any entities providing chemical toxicity data to the EPA. By requiring the EPA to replace and reduce the use of animals in chemical testing, create a strategic plan to implement nonanimal methods into their chemical assessment practices, and report to congress on its progress every five years, it represents the beginning of the end of animals killed in toxicity testing.

Kristie Sullivan speaks at Friday's awards ceremony in London.

Thank you to the Lush Prize for recognizing this achievement.