Governance: our impact on fair and reliable research
We conduct scientific research to develop new and more effective treatments against diseases. As part of it, we make use of animal testing. Naturally, we do this as little as possible. Many people want to know what we are doing to reduce animal testing.
We are working actively on reducing the number of tests carried out on laboratory animals. In 2024, for example, together with Utrecht University, Hogeschool Utrecht, and the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu or RIVM) among others, we initiated the Center for Animal-Free Biomedical Translation (CPBT, in Dutch: Centrum voor Proefdiervrije Biomedische Translatie). The purpose of this center is to develop new, safer, and more effective treatments and where possible, make use of models based on human cells. CPBT is focusing first of all on innovation without animal testing for the following diseases: ALS , cystic fibrosis , arthrosis /rheumatism and asthma /COPD . In 2024, the Dutch government via the National Growth Fund invested a total of € 124.5 million in the new CPBT .
Jeffrey Beekman, Professor in cellular disease models: “We observe that models based on patients’ own tissues give a much more effective image than animal models. At the CPBT we can further develop and standardize these models. This brings us closer to treatments for example for patients with cystic fibrosis.”
