GlaxoSmithKline animal research argument ‘gaining ground’

Jean-Pierre Garnier, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, has said that he believes his company are making inroads in the minds of the UK public as it fights the threat of animal extremists.

Last week, animal extremists sent letters to Glaxo shareholders threatening to reveal their personal details on a website for animal rights campaigners to see if they did not sell their shares. They said the company’s collaboration with Huntingdon Life Sciences, a research company, was inexcusable and they promised that its shares would crash in value, although this did not happen.

Mr Garnier told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: “I think that it is fair to say that as the public get more educated about what exactly is going on with animal testing for medicinal purposes, most people use their common sense and think this is something that should be encouraged.”

“It is pretty much commonsense that you cannot side against experimental medicine based on animals at the present time. I totally agree that we should try to minimise it and to develop alternative technologies,” he added.

Mr Garnier concluded: “There is a lot of money being spent in this direction, but extremists don?t accomplish anything – they don?t have any solutions to propose.”

Glaxo, he said, would not consider leaving the UK because of animal rights extremists and he commented that there were sufficient mechanisms to protect the identities of shareholders.

Last week, the European director for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Poorva Johipurva, refused to condemn the letters. She told Channel 4 News: “The letter which has been sent to these shareholders is, as far as I can see, an informative letter which informs them that they are fuelling cruelty to animals by supporting GlaxoSmithKline.”

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