Responsible animal testing

Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and UMC Utrecht are working towards a better and healthier world. To achieve this, we conduct research and provide education, sometimes with the use of animal experiments.

Utrecht Animal Welfare Body

Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and UMC Utrecht have jointly established the . Every institute that breeds, supplies or uses laboratory animals is required by law to set up an animal welfare body, as laid down in the Experiments on Animals Act. All experiments involving animals are subject to the following strict conditions, regulated in law:

  • There is no other way of achieving the educational or research goal.
  • The 3 Rs of Reduction, Refinement and Replacement are taken into account in the design of the animal experiment and applied where possible.
  • The societal importance of the research is evident.
  • The Animal Experiments Committee has assessed whether the importance of the animal experiment outweighs the use of and the suffering caused to the laboratory animals.
  • A licence has been issued by the (in Dutch).
  • There is supervision and guidance by an Animal Welfare Body.

3Rs Centre Utrecht

The 3Rs Centre Utrecht (3RCU) is part of the Utrecht Animal Welfare Body. To reduce the use of laboratory animals in research and education, the 3RCU promotes the development and implementation of the 3Rs, with Replacement given the highest priority. The 3RCU has developed a range of digital tools to support researchers in applying the 3Rs, and actively collaborates with them to explore opportunities to avoid or minimize the use of animals. When the use of laboratory animals is still necessary, the 3RCU, together with the Animal Welfare Body, ensures that all Refinement measures are implemented.

Transition to Animal-free Innovations

Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and UMC Utrecht have also set up a Transition to Animal-Free Innovations working group, together with Hogeschool Utrecht. This interdisciplinary working group stimulates the transition to animal-free innovations by means of advice (to researchers and executives), networks, education and creative workshops (helpathons).

Centre for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation

Utrecht 木瓜福利影视, the 木瓜福利影视 of Applied Sciences Utrecht, UMC Utrecht and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) are also initiators of the Centre for Animal-free Biomedical Translation (CPBT), which focuses on accelerating the transition to animal-free innovations. The Utrecht Animal Welfare Body and the 3Rs Centre Utrecht cooperate with CPBT in this area.

Animal Laboratory

Animal experimentation is carried out in various Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and UMC Utrecht buildings, although most such experiments take place in the Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 Animal Laboratory. The laboratory is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International and is ISO-9001:2000 certified.

Further information

For more information, please contact info@ivd-utrecht.nl.