On 13 February 2022, the Swiss electorate will decide on the popular initiative “Yes to a ban on animal and human experimentation”. The initiative calls for a ban on all experiments on animals and humans and, in addition, a ban on the trade and approval of medicines and therapies developed with the help of animal experiments.
Research on humans (human research) and animals makes a decisive contribution to our better understanding of the causes and courses of diseases and enables science to develop new therapies for the treatment, prevention and cure of numerous diseases. Diseases can only be fought through the achievements of research. Well-known examples of successful research are treatments for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, HIV and, last but not least, Covid-19. The use of new therapies and vaccinations as well as their further development would no longer be possible if the initiative were accepted. A ban would make the future successful treatment of millions of patients in Switzerland impossible.
As a specialised agency in the field of health and life sciences, Life Science Communication rejects the initiative, as a ban on studies with humans and animals would prevent progress in medical research and thus endanger the well-being of patients.