Page "Animal testing" Paragraph 54

Toxicology testing, also known as safety testing, is conducted by pharmaceutical companies testing drugs, or by contract animal testing facilities, such as Huntingdon Life Sciences, on behalf of a wide variety of customers.

According to 2005 EU figures, around one million animals are used every year in Europe in toxicology tests ; which are about 10 % of all procedures.

According to Nature, 5, 000 animals are used for each chemical being tested, with 12, 000 needed to test pesticides.

The tests are conducted without anesthesia, because interactions between drugs can affect how animals detoxify chemicals, and may interfere with the results.