Swiss Biotech Association warns against animal testing initiative

If the initiative were adopted, Swiss-based companies and academic research groups would no longer be able to conduct animal testing and clinical trials in Switzerland. At the same time, no new medicines developed in accordance with the internationally applicable approval rules would be allowed to be imported into Switzerland. Acceptance of the initiative would therefore have a detrimental effect on patients in Switzerland and on all innovative Swiss companies developing such vital medicines.

Clinical trials and animal studies are legally required to obtain regulatory approvals for new human medicines in Switzerland and in all countries of the world. Banning research organizations and biotech/pharma companies from running clinical trials and animal studies in Switzerland, would totally isolate Switzerland internationally and force all research institutions to either abandon the development of innovative drugs or to move significant parts of their operations to any other country. Switzerland would self-impose restrictions on the development of new and innovative medicines and their international approval process, which would conflict with legally required approval processes enforced in all other countries.

Switzerland is a leading global hub of biomedical innovation. More than 1,000 small and medium sized biotech companies employ a highly skilled workforce of 50,000 specialists and attract the best researchers from all over the world. International investors are attracted by the high-quality research performed in the country and readily provide funding to Swiss biotech startups. In 2020, they invested CHF 3.4 billion into younger as well as established Swiss based companies as they recognize the value and great potential of these companies. This funding is available to the entire value-chain of startups, suppliers, hospitals, and universities. Most funding and jobs would be lost with the ban on the corresponding R&D activities. A ban would also cause the loss of a highly skilled talent pool and weaken the Swiss academic research landscape.

The Swiss Biotech Association therefore strongly opposes this radical initiative, as it would destroy one of the most successful biotech clusters in the world and massively affect the healthcare system and patients in Switzerland. «Acceptance of the initiative would eliminate a large part of biomedical research and render the development of new drugs in Switzerland impossible. At the same time, patients in Switzerland would be denied access to innovative medicines, and comprehensive medical care in Switzerland would become impossible» says Michael Altorfer, CEO of the Swiss Biotech Association, the industry association of Swiss biotech startups and SMEs that develop innovative medicines and therapeutic methods.

(Press release / SK)