Ask Victoria University to End the Use of Cruel Animal Tests!

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There are just two tertiary institutes in New Zealand who have used the Forced Swim Test in the past five years - Victoria University and the University of Otago.

It should be easy for the last remaining universities using this archaic and invalid test to make a commitment not to use it again, in the future. Unfortunately, Victoria University is yet to embrace this progressive decision and that’s where you’re help is needed!

NZAVS and SAFE provided evidence that the Forced Swim Test doesn’t reliably mimic human depression and should, therefore, be abandoned on scientific grounds, to the Vice Chancellor and Animal Ethics Committee of Victoria University. We have recently received a very disappointing reply – they have refused to rule out using the Forced Swim Test in the future!

TAKE ACTION: Send a message urging decision makers at Victoria University to reconsider and join the global shift away from the Forced Swim Test!

Read more about the Forced Swim Test here.

Ask Victoria University to End the Use of Cruel Animal Tests!

Your Name*

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I would like to send the following email:

Dear Grant Guilford, Bart Ellenbroek and other members of the Victoria University of Wellington Animal Ethics Committee,

I have been made aware of a cruel and invalid animal test that has recently been conducted by affiliates of Victoria University – The Forced Swim Test. I am not only shocked that this test has been used by your institute, but I am also extremely disappointed that there has been no commitment made to rectify this past mistake.

The Forced Swim Test is used to try to test potential psychological treatments such as antidepressants.  However, the Forced Swim Test does not reliably predict successful novel treatments for human depression — nullifying any scientific justification for carrying out the test. In fact, an analysis (https://bit.ly/2X5fVOU) conducted by Dr Emily Trunnell looked at data from four major pharmaceutical companies and found that the Forced Swim Test was less predictive than chance at determining if a compound would have antidepressant efficacy in humans.

This means that Victoria University is wasting resources, including time and money, each time this test is conducted.

Your letter in response to NZAVS and SAFE indicated the possibility of individuals justifying the use of the Forced Swim Test in an animal use proposal. However, if the Victoria University of Wellington Animal Ethics Committee thoughtfully considers the matter and conducts a harm/benefit analysis to inform their decision, the Committee would be unwise to approve a manipulation involving the use of the Forced Swim Test.

I am urging you to end the use of this cruel and outdated test method on ethical, scientific and financial grounds.

In Dec 2018 pharmaceutical Giant AbbVie committed to not funding or conducting forced swim tests. Johnson and Johnson  (in March 2019 ) and DSM Nutritional Products (in May 2019) made the same commitment. NutriFusion LLC and Astraea Therapeutics have also made a commitment not to use or fund this test in the future. This shows that even the pharmaceutical industry is recognising this test as outdated and irrelevant. Now it’s up to you to make sure NZ keeps up with this global shift!

I would love for Victoria University to be seen as a progressive institute, and this type of commitment would highlight to the rest of Aotearoa and the world that we are capable of evaluating and updating test methods to improve the way we do research.

I hope that in your roles as the Vice-Chancellor and members of the Animal Ethics Committee that you will reconsider your decision and make a promise on behalf of Victoria University to no longer use the Forced Swim Test.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindly,

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