290k animals used in experiments

Almost 300,000 animals were used in Ireland last year to test the safety, quality, and potency of medicines.

A report from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, formerly the Irish Medicines Board, reveals that 277,559 animals were used in procedures for the first time.

There were 279,379 occasions where animals were used in procedures, with 205,751 used to test the safety, quality, and potency of medicines. The majority of the tests (94% or 193,197) were to examine the harmful effects of substances.