The primary impetus behind the bill is said to be drugdevelopment services company Covance, which recently opened a state-of-the-art,288,000 square-foot, preclinical animal research facility in Chandler, Ariz.The facility received full accreditation in October 2009 by the Association for
Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). Thatorganization is said to promote the humane treatment of animals in scienceworldwide through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs byrecognizing the highest standards for animal care and use in 31 countries.
According to the company Web site,
Covance offers a range ofservices, including GLP toxicology and bioanalytical, toxicology and safetyassessment services, including standard and specialized services, to helppharmaceutical and biotechnology companies achieve study goals quickly and withgreater confidence. Covance has 15 offices in the U.S. and one in Canada.
Calls and e-mails seeking comment for this story were notreturned by company spokesperson Camilla Strongin, who had gone on record assaying that the bill would not have a large impact on her company.
Pierce, a rancher by trade who also holds a degree in animalscience, agrees that the legislation sought to resolve the question ofoversight of the way labs that use animals for research.
"It's important that this be done," Pierce says. "It'ssomething that needs to be done. The local health departments are not equippedto watch over these industries."
Covance, with headquarters in Princeton, N.J., is one of theworld's largest drug development services companies, with annual revenuesgreater than $1.7 billion, global operations in more than 25 countries and morethan 10,000 employees worldwide.
Calls and e-mails to the
Animal Defense League of Arizona,which was also vocal about the proposed legislation, were not returned as ofpress time.
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