These EDMs are now closed. Please do not contact your MP

The Safety of Medicines (Evaluation) Bill 2009 was launched by a cross-party group of MPs to tackle the escalating problem of adverse drug reactions by requiring an unprecedented scientific comparison of testing methods. Read why here. Dr Bob Spink MP (Independent), Mike Hancock CBE MP (Liberal Democrat) and David Amess MP (Conservative) also tabled Early Day Motion 569 in support of the Bill. The Bill and the EDM closed with the end of the parliamentary session on November 12th.

Phenomenal parliamentary support

Thank you to everyone who encouraged their MP to sign - you helped to achieve a truly remarkable demonstration of support in favour of such a momentous evaluation. EDM 569 was the joint 10th most-signed of all 2,421 EDMs in the last parliamentary session, with a phenomenal 243 signatories (248, including those whose names had to be removed when they were subsequently promoted to front-bench positions).

How you can help with the next stage: EDM 29

Dr Bob Spink MP has re-tabled the Safety of Medicines Early Day Motion in this new parliamentary session as EDM 29. Please write to your own MP to ask them to sign EDM 29: Safety of Medicines – taking the opportunity to thank them if they signed EDM 569 in the last session. Thank you!

You can check here whether your MP signed EDM 569 - it helps to select alphabetical order!

The time to evaluate animal tests has surely come. With adverse drug reactions increasing and the output of new medicines decreasing, while their costs spiral ever upwards, it has never been more important to assess the methods used to test drug safety.

'These impressive technologies deserve a fair trial, to see if they could do a better job of protecting patients.' Dr Bob Spink MP	'If replacing animal tests could benefit drug safety, who could fail to be happy?' David Amess MP	‘It is astonishing that animal testing has never been scientifically evaluated. The process is long overdue’ Mike Hancock CBE MP	‘Making medicines safer and speeding up the testing of new drugs are highly important aims for the Government to pursue, and I will continue to push this agenda in Parliament.’ Jo Swinson MP

Early Day Motion 212: Access to human tissue for health research

Jo Swinson MP has tabled EDM 212: Access to human tissue for health research, calling on the Government to increase the accessibility of human tissue samples for health research.

This is another very important initiative. Please ask your MP to sign EDM 212, as well as EDM 29.

You can view the signatories here. You can find the name of your MP here.

You can read more about EDM 212 here.