Ethical Approach

Meiji Animal Health is committed to helping animals and humans live healthily and happily through pharmaceutical innovation.

We prioritize the safety and quality of our products above all else. To meet global regulatory standards and ensure the effectiveness and dependability of our products, we may conduct humane animal-based experiments as part of our research and development process. We treat all animals involved in research carefully and respectfully and remain committed to using alternatives to animals when applicable. Our strong sense of responsibility towards the animals entrusted to us guides our conduct at all times. That's why each employee arranges the study to help the animals experience the highest levels of comfort possible. We always follow the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement)^* to prevent and minimize pain and distress during research.

^*For details, see "The 3Rs at Meiji Animal Health" below.

Responsible Care and Use of Animals

Research and development of veterinary medicines may require animal experiments. Meiji Animal Health established the Animal Experiment Regulations based on the Japanese national government guidelines. These regulations confirm that experiments are performed with the highest concern for the health and welfare of the animals involved. Additionally, an internal Animal Experiment Committee reviews the validity of all animal experiment plans from the perspective of the 3Rs* and confirms that all experiments were properly conducted after completion.

Furthermore, those involved in animal experiments are required to undergo training to ensure that all experiments are conducted in accordance with our Animal Experiment Regulations. We also conduct internal inspections to promote effective animal experiments and superior animal care.

The 3Rs at Meiji Animal Health

The 3Rs - Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement - are the cornerstone of Meiji Animal Health's ethical treatment of animals in product research and development. These principles provide a framework for researchers to conduct humane animal studies.

The principle of replacement refers to technologies or approaches which directly replace or avoid the use of animals in experiments. We continuously develop and apply new techniques that do not involve the use of animals, including in-vitro testing and mathematical and computer simulation models, aligning our research with the latest scientific advancements and practices.

The second principle, reduction, refers to strategies aimed at minimizing the number of animals involved in each experiment. When animal testing is unavoidable, we meticulously design our experiments to use as few animals as possible while ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the data collected.

The final principle of refinement focuses on animal quality of life and the methodologies used to reduce the pain, suffering, distress, and lasting harm research animals may experience. Examples of these refinement practices include providing animals with housing that allows for the expression of species-specific behaviors and administering appropriate doses of anesthesia to minimize pain.