Regarding the AP article in the July 8 BDN, “Animal rights protests target scientists”: These protesters are terrorists and criminals and should be punished to the full extent of the law. Perhaps new laws need to be passed to deal with these agents of destruction.

Animals are necessary for research unless you want to experiment on people like the Nazis did. There are rigid laws and inspections that govern the use, care and health of laboratory animals. Cage size, food, humane treatment and care are all enforced.

Many in vitro systems have been developed and tested, but are not satisfactory. Metabolism of new therapeutic agents can only be studied in animals so one knows what the metabolists do, whether they are dangerous or destroy the new agents.

Most medical research is performed using mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, rabbits and non-human primates, all of which have characteristics necessary for discovery and development of new therapeutic agents and understanding disease processes.

If these protesters were successful, they would inhibit all advances in medical science and therapy. Do they wish to inhibit research into Alzheimer’s, cancer, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases and spinal cord injury?

I have been involved in biomedical research for over 50 years, both as a practitioner and consultant for pharmaceutical and biotech firms, venture capitalists, NIH and foreign governments.

Irving S. Johnson

Stonington