New Delhi, April 4, 2025 – The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has been formally petitioned by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to ban the scientifically discredited Forced Swim Test (FST) in pharmaceutical education and research. The appeal, backed by global evidence and regulatory precedents, calls for India to join over 40 institutions, 15 major pharma companies, and multiple governments that have already prohibited the controversial test.
Why the Forced Swim Test Faces Global Backlash
The FST, developed in the 1970s, involves forcing rodents into inescapable water tanks to study “depression-like behavior.” However, mounting scientific criticism highlights its lack of validity, ethical concerns, and poor translation to human outcomes:
- Scientifically Flawed: Studies prove immobility in FST reflects adaptive survival behavior, not depression. Variables like water temperature, strain differences, and prior exposure skew results.
- Ethical Concerns: Animals exhibit visible distress, defecate, and may drown. Over 4,300 published studies misuse FST data to claim “depression-like” behavior without evidence.
- Global Rejection: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and universities like King’s College London have banned FST. The UK, Australia, and New Zealand restrict its use in research.
PETA’s Appeal to PCI: Key Asks
In a letter to PCI President Dr. Montu M. Patel, PETA India’s Dr. Anjana Aggarwal emphasized:
- Adopt a Policy Banning FST in PCI-approved institutions under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
- Promote Human-Relevant Alternatives: Computational modeling, human cell-based assays, and organoid technologies.
- Align with Global Trends: Follow the FDA and European Medicines Agency, which no longer require FST for drug approvals.
PCI’s Response and Next Steps
The PCI has circulated PETA’s letter to all approved institutions, signaling potential regulatory action.
Industry and Academic Shifts
- Pharma Exodus: Bayer, Roche, and GSK dropped FST after PETA exposed its failure to predict antidepressant efficacy (only 3 of 109 tested compounds reached market).
- Universities Lead: La Trobe University (Australia) and 12 UK universities banned FST, citing ethical and scientific shortcomings.
What This Means for India’s Pharma Sector
- Ethical Research: Transition to human-centric methods could enhance drug development accuracy.
- Regulatory Leadership: PCI’s decision may influence other Indian research bodies, like the ICMR, to modernize guidelines.
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“Science must evolve. The FST is a relic that harms animals and hinders progress.” — Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India.
#PharmacyEthics #AnimalWelfare #ResearchReform #PCIGuidelines
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