"With this register, we are improving the transparency and quality of research," said Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment to which the Centre belongs. "We also help to avoid unnecessary animal experiments at the same time".
The Animal Study Registry (Pre-Registration of Animal Experiments) starts today, on January 7, 2019. Registration will support thorough and target-oriented experimental planning. Results will become more reproducible and raise the scientific standard. By making all studies publicly accessible, even those with inconvenient outcomes, animal experiments will be reduced. Indeed, by producing a more complete and "unadorned" picture, erroneous research approaches can be avoided.
Ultimately, patients will benefit from a register, too, since the knowledge gained from animal experiments forms the basis for the development of new biomedical therapies. The more solid this foundation is, the greater are the chances of success and the lower the risk of complications and side-effects. That is also the reason why registers for clinical trials on humans have been established already for a long time. Registration is the prerequisite for receiving funding or submitting drugs for approval. The register for animal experiments now aims for a high level of "preclinical" research.
The entries in AnimalStudyRegistry.org describe such things as the statistical method selected for the planned experiment. The register is freely accessible.
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Link to AnimalStudyRegistry: https://www.animalstudyregistry.org
About the BfR
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. It advises the Federal Government and Federal Laender on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.
About Bf3R
The German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) was set up in 2015 and is an integral part of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). It coordinates all activities throughout Germany to reduce animal experiments to an absolute minimum and to guarantee the best possible protection for laboratory animals. Further aims are to stimulate research and promote scientific dialogue worldwide.
This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.