Summary
In summary, it appears that the current system for
grant approval has been constituted in such a way as to provide for the
approval of almost any grant for an animal experimentation project, with
few motivations for a project to be disapproved. The individuals
involved in the approval process often have a vested interest in
approving grants, with little or no incentive to disapprove grants.
The existing system has led to a steady climb (33,014
for 2002 projects in target species, a 59.7% increase for a ten-year
period) in the number of animal experimentation projects funded by the
NIH over the last ten years. A conservative estimate of the current
annual expenditure for animal based experimentation as it is funded by
the National Institutes of Health exceeds $9.9 billion.
26 nationally known laboratories receive more than
$100 million annually for the performance of animal experimentation (see
Appendix B for individual facility totals), 8 of these facilities
receive over $150 million per year, and two have eclipsed the $200
million mark. The average annual funding amount per facility is
$139,805,731. Since laboratories have a monetary interest in performing
as much experimentation as possible, it is expected that without radical
changes to the grant approval process these numbers will continue to
increase.
Several specific areas of experimentation have been
examined to study the issue of experimental duplication. 187 separate
projects study neural information processing in macaque monkeys, with
130 of these studying visual neural information processing.
Additionally, 445 NIH grants study cocaine in rats, mice or macaque
monkeys potentially using more than $133 million annually. The NIH is
also currently funding 657 animal studies on alcohol in rats, mice or
macaque monkeys that consume an estimated $197,000,000 each year. These
two areas of addiction research expend $384,600,000 annually. Should we
consider re-directing this funding towards programs that directly
benefit humans suffering from substance abuse?
Experimental duplication is evidently very high,
leading to the waste of hundreds of millions in federal tax dollars, and
the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of animals. The consumption
of this funding in animal experiments may also prevent U.S. citizens
from accessing the social programs that they need. How many people could
be funded in substance abuse programs with the $330 million that is
currently directed at animal experiments in addiction? How many of them
will die for lack of treatment? What will the cost be to our society in
health care, criminal justice, and other programs because these people
weren’t treated? What is more important keeping multi-million dollar
laboratories open, or keeping U.S. citizens alive?
It is time that we end the process of writing the
research community a $10 billion blank check every year for the purpose
of performing animal experimentation with little more than a vague hope
that any real benefits will result. Every day the NIH spends over
$27,000,000 on animal experiments. Shouldn’t we be examining this whole
process much more closely?
A radical restructuring of the NIH grant approval
system, and the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee system is
necessary to prevent further waste of federal tax dollars and animal
lives.
