Animal experimentation is vital for biomedical research, testing and education. During the last decade there has been a remarkable improvement in the standards of animal facilities and quality of experimentation particularly with small animals but the use of large animals is also crucial for drug development, testing and discovery of new molecules.

Generating data on large animals in India has become most difficult. Non-availability of colony bread cats, dogs, monkeys as per CPCSEA guidelines, long delays (some time up to years) in getting ethical clearance forces the Indian pharma industries to depend upon other countries for data on large animals. This not only leads to loss of precious time in cutting edge science but also drains substantial funds out of country. Training and basic & applied research in academic and research institutions also suffer.

To discuss issues and problems faced by the scientists, academicians, pharma industries, national laboratories, testing laboratories or any other stakeholder, a brain storming session is being organized under the auspices of Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Indian Pharmacological Society, Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India (APPI) and Indian Nutrition Society. It is proposed that after two sessions of brain storming, a recommendation will be prepared.

Dr Mehtab S Bamji, the chairperson of ICSU Joint Committee of Indian National Science Committee for IUNS, IUPS and IUPHAR will take up the matter with the Planning Commission's working group on policies, administrative changes for improvement in S & T, research environment and resource under the chairmanship of Dr R Chidambaran.


The meeting has been organized on June 26, 2006 at Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi. The brain storming session will be conducted the entire day.