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Stem-cell research: Warning of embryo use in human tests Drug companies are looking at increased availability of human embryos to aid them in drug research, says Dr John Fleming. “If you are developing a drug to use on pregnant women then you need to ensure that it will not harm the embryo,” he said. “And you can’t rely on animal experiments. Thalid-omide was safe on animals, but it wasn’t on human beings. “The drug companies want to do human specific tests, and they would do that by playing around with embryos. They would want embryos to develop the techniques, and then more to do the research.” The kinds of experimentation on embryos allowed under the new legislation are clearly available, but no one seems to know about them, Dr Fleming said. “The details appear in the support documentation for the legislation,” he said. “The National Health and Medical Research Council was responsible for producing the legislation. “The explanatory guide identifies all the areas of research I have mentioned.” “All Prime Minister John Howard talked about in his speech to Parliament was stem-cell research, as if this was all the legislation would allow. “But this is just the tiniest part of it. “Some politicians have been very naïve about this. “The main effects of the legislation would be improved IVF techniques for the financial benefit of the clinics involved.”
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