SAMPLE LETTER #1
TO: BIOMEDICAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTRE (BPRC)
Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC)
P.O. Box 3306
2280 GH Rijswijk
The Netherlands
ph: + 31 15 284 2699; fax: + 31 15 284 3999
general email: ,
website:
ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION FOUND AT:
Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC)
P.O. Box 3306
2280 GH Rijswijk
The Netherlands
KEY PERSONNEL:
Ronald E. Bontrop, General and Scientific Director
ph: 31 (15) 284-26-99; fax: 31 (15) 284-39-99; email:
Dr. Bert 't Hart, Chairman, Dept. of Immunobiology
ph: 31 (15) 284-2691; email:
P. Heidt, Chairman, Dept. of Animal Science
ph: 31 (15) 284-2723; email:
J.L. Heeney, Chairman, Dept. of Virology
ph: 31 (15) 284-2660; email:
A. W. Thomas, Chairman, Dept. of Parasitology
ph: 31 (15) 284-2538; email:
H. v.d. Ruit, Chairman, Dept. of Finance and Support
ph: 31 (15) 284-3249; email:
Mr. Herbert Brok, Lab. of Immunobiology
ph: 31-15-284-2723; fax: 31-15-284-3999
Dr. Margreet Jonker:
Dr. Sandra Amor:
EMAIL BLOCK:
, ,,, ,
, , , ,
Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC):
I understand BPRC is the European leader in breeding and use of primates for animal experimentation in the areas of immunobiology, infectious disease, parasitic disease, xenotransplantation, radiation, toxic gasses, and neurological abnormalities.
While BPRC’s mission to “study, prevent and/or treat human diseases” is commendable, I fail to see how confining 1600 monkeys inside your facility in the Netherlands accomplishes this task.
BPRC claims to function under the “auspices of animal welfare.” Yet, the Dutch government has admitted your laboratory does “not meet generally accepted standards.” Animal welfare professionals who have visited the primate laboratory observed over 500 macaques isolated in cramped cages. Babies are forcibly separated from female “breeding” monkeys at birth and chimpanzees are caged alone with no stimulation or enrichment whatsoever.
These animals exhibit aberrant behaviors such as repetitive banging against bars, spitting, and feces smearing. Tragically, many of BPRC’s test “models” are no longer even used in studies.
I strongly encourage BPRC to evolve with modern science through the application of validated non-animal modalities. Animals endure unceasing anxiety and pain for experiments that prove inapplicable to human health. For example, BPRC researchers have acknowledged chimpanzees do not contract human AIDS or develop its clinical symptoms. Nonetheless, one chimpanzee was isolated for a decade, simply to see what might happen if infected with human HIV.
Animal testing is simply bad science. In fact, according to America’s Acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, a mere 8% of animal-tested drugs pass Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Of those pharmaceutical products, at least half fail in the late stage Phase 3 trials. With a 92% failure rate, it’s no surprise adverse reactions to drugs (ADRs) are the fourth primary cause of death in the U.S.
In Canada, more than 16,000 seniors died from ADRs over a five-year span from 1999 to 2003. The British Medical Journal reported in 2004: “[Animal] research is poorly conducted and not thoroughly evaluated.” Scientists described contrived illness or injury in animals as incongruous with humans and said drug doses differ substantially from those administered to humans.
The alarm over drugs from Bextra, Celebrex and Aleve to Premarin, Fen-phen and Vioxx ought to serve as a red light for animal experimenters. How many more humans will suffer heart failure, cancer or stroke before animals are recognized as a flawed model? Conversely, the release of potentially helpful drugs may be delayed because they test useless or toxic in animals.
The European Union and the Dutch Ministry of Education annually hand BPRC more than £1.3 million in grants. That's nearly £3m of European taxpayer money. Please stop wasting government funds to torment sentient creatures in futile studies. Thank you for accepting my comments. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE LETTER #2
TO: European Commission & Dutch Government
Ministerie O.C. & W.
t.a.v. dhr. L. Hermans
Postbus 25000
2700 LZ Zoetermeer
The Netherlands
email:
website:
Ministerie L.N. & V.
t.a.v. dhr. Mr. L.J. Brinkhorst
Postbus 20401
2500 EK Den Haag
The Netherlands
web email form:
website:
Ministerie van VROM
De Directie Stoffen, Veiligheid, Straling
DGM/SVS/ipc 655
Postbus 30945
2500 GX Den Haag
The Netherlands
email:
website:
Mr. P.B. Busquin
Commissioner for Research Directorate F
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Bruxelles
Belgium
email:
EUROPEANS:
Write or email your local Member of the European Parliament (MEP) to ask for a European ban on the use of chimpanzees in medical research, and an end to EU funding for BPRC. Find contact information here:
Honorable Officials of the Netherlands and European Commission:
As someone who advocates viable medical research, I feel government agencies should be accountable for how they dispense federal funds to research facilities.
The European Union and the Dutch Ministry of Education annually hand the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) more than £1.3 million in grants. That's an investment of nearly £3m in European taxpayer money—for the use of 1600 primates in antiquated experiments.
In the United Kingdom and New Zealand experimentation on Great Apes is already banned. I strongly encourage you to issue a comprehensive European ban on the use of Great Apes in research and to quit funding BPRC.
BPRC claims to function under the “auspices of animal welfare.” Yet, the Dutch government has admitted the laboratory does “not meet generally accepted standards.” Animal welfare professionals who have visited the primate laboratory observed over 500 macaques isolated in cramped cages. Babies are forcibly separated from female “breeding” monkeys at birth and chimpanzees are caged alone with no stimulation or enrichment whatsoever.
These animals exhibit aberrant behaviors such as repetitive banging against bars, spitting, and feces smearing. Tragically, many of BPRC’s test “models” are no longer even used in studies.
BPRC could choose to evolve with modern science through the application of validated non-animal modalities. Instead, animals endure unceasing anxiety and pain for experiments that prove inapplicable to humans. For example, BPRC researchers have acknowledged chimpanzees do not contract human AIDS or develop its clinical symptoms. Nonetheless, one chimpanzee was isolated for a decade, simply to see what might happen if infected with human HIV.
Animal testing is simply bad science. In fact, according to America’s Acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, a mere 8% of animal-tested drugs pass Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Of those pharmaceutical products, at least half fail in the late stage Phase 3 trials. With a 92% failure rate, it’s no surprise adverse reactions to drugs (ADRs) are the fourth primary cause of death in the U.S.
The British Medical Journal reported in 2004: “[Animal] research is poorly conducted and not thoroughly evaluated.” Scientists described contrived illness or injury in animals as incongruous with humans and said drug doses differ substantially from those administered to humans.
The alarm over drugs from Bextra, Celebrex and Aleve to Premarin, Fen-phen and Vioxx ought to serve as a red light for animal experimenters and their subsidizers. How many more humans will suffer heart failure, cancer or stroke before animals are recognized as a flawed model?
I join animal protection organizations worldwide in asking you to close BPRC and work with animal welfare experts to release the animals to specialized wildlife sanctuaries.
Renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall has shown that primates form complex social unions and experience a full range of emotions. Chimpanzees can foresee future events and communicate in sophisticated patterns of sign language. Any facility that gasses, poisons, mutilates and burns primates in the name of science is a disgrace in the civilized world.
Thank you,