Animal Experimentation in Basic Research – Current Discussion and Implications of the Latest Jurisprudence in Switzerland

In recent years a discernible political trend has developed, particularly in Europe and the United States, towards phasing out or at least significantly reducing the use and harm of animals in research. Switzerland reflects this trend through political initiatives and the National Research Program 79 “Advancing 3R – Research, Animals and Society”. Despite these efforts, the number of animals used in experiments remains high and has even increased over the last two years. Notably, the number of animals subjected to the highest severity grade has doubled within the past decade. Most research animals in Switzerland are currently used in basic research, accounting for nearly 60 percent of all experiments in 2022 and almost 80 percent of the most severe ones. Animal experiments – particularly those with uncertain anticipated benefits that impose a high burden on animals – have increasingly been addressed in court. The harm-benefit analysis, which evaluates how concrete and realizable the anticipated benefit must be to justify severe experiments, has become a central issue. This article takes a recent decision by the Zurich Administrative Court on a severely harmful animal experiment as an impetus to analyze and contextualize recent Swiss jurisprudence, and to clarify its implications for basic research.