Without animals in research, we wouldn't have arthritis medicine - a disability striking one in every five adults in the United States.
We all place a great value on our good health and the health of those around us. We have watched as medical breakthrough after breakthrough has ensured a healthier future. In fact, we tend to take for granted our good health, or the treatments we receive when we do get sick.
What many don’t realize is the extent to which animal research has played a role in our good health. Directly or indirectly, most of the advancements that give us a life expectancy of more than 70 years can be linked to animal research.
We live in a society that values animals, and that sometimes makes it difficult to understand the use of animals in research. But, in many cases, animal research is the only method that provides the definitive answer to questions surrounding the intricacies of the human body and disease. And, the questions remaining are many. To make the advances still urgently needed — the cure for Alzheimer’s, a treatment for AIDS, or the healing therapy for victims of paralysis — animal research must continue.