Animal defense. PETA obtains the end of experiments on rabbits carried out for almost twenty years in Sweden – Destimed

Publié le 31 mai 2026 à 10h55 – Dernière mise à jour le 31 mai 2026 à 10h55

The animal defense association PETA announces the early termination of a research program carried out on rabbits at the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden. According to the organization, these experiments, financed by American organizations, had been carried out for almost twenty years and would have involved at least 127 animals over the last five years.

The animal defense association PETA welcomes the early end of a program of experiments carried out on rabbits at the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden. According to the organization, this decision comes five months before the planned date following a complaint filed by PETA United States with the American National Institutes of Health (NIH), which financed this research.

According to information communicated by the association, experimenters, to cause lesions, broke the vertebral column of rabbits, injected them with substances into the brain and spinal cord and implanted electrodes in their muscles as part of a study aimed at to study human posture. PETA says this research was conducted for nearly twenty years. The organization also indicates that documents obtained as part of its investigations show rabbits suffering from significant pain and remaining for several weeks in their cages without appropriate care. According to the association, at least 127 rabbits were used in these experiments over the last five years. HAS” No more rabbits will have to endure such cruelty at the Karolinska Institute », if you like PETA in a community. TO” Rabbits are social animals who form strong relationships with their peers. These are not simple test tubes available for experiments.»

The announcement reignites the debate on animal testing and the search for alternative methods. Animal protection associations have been advocating for several years for increased use of modeling technologies, cell cultures and even digital tools to limit the use of animals in scientific protocols. For PETA, this decision constitutes a symbolic victory in a fight waged for many years against certain experimental practices considered particularly invasive.

The Karolinska Institute, one of the most prestigious medical research centers in Europe, did not react to the association’s statements at the time of this announcement.