Huntingdon suppliers get legal protection
individuals found to be involved in the harassment of staff working
for UK-based Japanese pharmaceutical companies.
The UK High Court has issued injunctions against a number of individuals found to be involved in the harassment of staff working for UK-based Japanese pharmaceutical companies.
The companies are all suppliers of Huntington Life Sciences, a UK contract research organisation that has been the subject of a concerted campaign by animal rights activists for years.
Earlier this year, Deloitte & Touche stepped down as HLS' auditors after a similar campaign, and investors have off-loaded their holdings in the company for fear of also being targeted. The government now provides insurance and banking services for the company in the UK, HLS has moved many of its activities to the US, where it operates under the Life Sciences Research banner.
The Japanese companies brought the action after a series of harassment actions attributed to groups including Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). Recent harassment targeted at some of the companies has included fire bombings, assaults, intimidatory visits to staff homes, threatening, offensive and malicious letters and telephone calls and criminal damage to individuals' property.
Commenting on the case, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said that while those who oppose experiments using animals have every right to make their views known, "many companies and staff have experienced quite unacceptable levels of harassment and attacks."
"Animal research is absolutely fundamental to the development of new medicines to help people suffering from illness and disease," said Andrew Curl, deputy director general of the ABPI.
The companies who gained the latest injunction ACT Tech, Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers , Daiichi Pharmaceuticals , Eisai Ltd, Eisai London Laboratories, F2 Chemicals, Sankyo Pharma UK, Yamanouchi Pharma and Yamanouchi UK.
