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SAVE ITALIAN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Biomedical research, which underlies medical, veterinary and scientific knowledge, aims to find improved treatments for illness and requires animal research.

Those who categorically reject any form of animal use, both for food and for scientific purposes, represent less than 3%; of the Italian population. This minority is exerting growing pressures on public opinion, politicians, and society with the goal of stopping all animal research. They spread false views, sometimes supported by self-styled ’ experts’ that lack documented competence, and promote a campaign of suspicion and hate towards scholars who work for scientific progress and for human and animal health.

In fact, 97 out of 109 Nobel Prize recipients in Physiology or Medicine (and all such Laureates in the last 30 years) were recognized for discoveries that involved animal tests. Animal research has contributed enormously to develop the fundamental scientific knowledge used by medical doctors, veterinarians, psychologists and health care professionals. Furthermore, animal research has made possible revolutionary medical discoveries such as antibiotics, organ transplants, and treatment of diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, depression, spinal paralysis, cardio-vascular diseases,among many others. Finally, it is mandatory to test the safety and efficacy of all new drugs and treatments on animal models before applying to humans.

The use of animals for research and scientific breakthroughs is therefore indispensable.

However, even those whose diets include animal products sometimes have concerns about the need of animals for research. But animals used in research constitute only 0.001%; of the number used for food.Such facts are obscured by the deceptive, misleading equivalence made between torture and animal research,referred to with the derogatory word ’vivisection.’ This equivalence is unreasonable and untenable. Italy has the most restrictive legislation in Europe concerning the protection and well-being of animals used for scientific purposes Animals such as rabbits and pigs are subjected to a far greater care and protection when used for scientific purposes than when bred for food. Rodents represent almost 90%; of animals used for scientific research and, under such circumstances, they are protected by such regulations, whereas they are regularly eliminated when they infesting our cities. Animal Research is strictly controlled and regulated by the government authorities andis prohibited whenever valid alternative methods exist. Approved research is monitored to ensure that it is performed by trained personnel and conducted in mandated ways to minimize unnecessary pain and discomfort.

The use of animals is considered essential by the international biomedical scientific community for such fields as brain research, pathological addiction, and transplantation. These and other research topics designed to improve the health and well-being of our species are threatened in Italy by inadequate legislation.

This manifesto is supported by senior scientists, including Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine, as well as by many young researchers who defend the dignity and value of research and scientific progress. Join Italian scientists petitioning the Government and the Parliament to adopt any initiative appropriate to fulfil European Union legislation on animal research (EU Directive 63/2010), for a better balance between the need for scientific progress and animal protection and welfare.

Do not leave Italian research to die, leading scientists to quit or move their research abroad.


Petition closed on 05/12/2019, signed by
21882 people.


This manifesto is promoted by Luca Bonini and Marco Tamietto, neuroscientists and ERC grant holders, and is supported by the following first signatories:

• Giacomo Rizzolatti – Neurophysiologist, discoverer of the “mirrors neurons“
• Silvio Garattini – Pharmacologist, founder of the Institute Mario Negri
• Eric Kandel – Neuroscientist, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 2000
• Françoise Barré-Sinoussi – Immunologist, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 2008
• Erwin Neher – Biofisico, Premio Nobel per la Medicina 19911
• Jacopo Meldolesi e Ernesto Carafoli – Presidents of the Health and Research Committees, Accademia dei Lincei
• Micaela Morelli – Pharmacologist, President of the Italian Neuroscience Society (SINS)
• Joseph LeDoux – Neuroscientist, member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• Francesca Pasinelli – CEO Telethon Italy
• Guido Silvestri – Immunologist e co-founder of Patto Trasversale per la Scienza
• Angela Sirigu –Neuropsychologist, Research Director of CNRS (Lyon, France)
• Corrado Sinigaglia e Giulio Giorello – Philosophers of Science and science writers
• Silvia Priori – molecular cardiologist, Scientific Director of the ICS Maugeri
• Giorgio Vallortigara – Neuroethologies and science writer
• Simone Pollo – BioEthicists and Moral Philosopher
• Massimo Piattelli Palmarini – Cognitive scientists, member of the American Philosophical Association
• Tullio Pozzan – B molecular biologist, member of the Accademia dei Lincei, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• Paolo Veronesi – Senologist surgeon and president of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation
• Niccolò Contucci – CEO AIRC
• Marco Foiani – Scientific Director of IFOM (FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology)


Supportano il Manifesto anche la Associazione Internazionale Ricercatori Italiani (AIRIcerca), Associazione Luca Coscioni, European Animal Research Association (EARA), Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), Federazione Italiana Scienze della Vita (FISV), Patto Trasversale per la Scienza, Società Italiana di Fisiologia (SIF), Gruppo 2003, Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, Società Italiana Tossicologia (SITOX), Associazione Italiana di Psicologia (AIP), Associazione InOltre – Alternativa Progressista, Associazione Nazionale Biotecnologi Italiani (ANBI), Fondazione Telethon, Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Istituto Luca Coscioni, Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare (IFOM).