§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which the Animal Procedures Committee has met(a) representatives from Imutran and (b) representatives from Novartis giving in each case the purpose and outcome of the meetings. [29445]
§ Mr. George HowarthRepresentatives from Imutran, led by the Director of Research, made presentations to the Animal Procedures Committee on two occasions. The first was made to the primate sub-committee on 23 January 1997. The second was made to the whole Committee on 29 January 1998.
On both occasions, the presenters outlined the benefits of xenotransplantation for human patients and examined the current research programme involving the transplantation of genetically modified pig hearts to baboons, with particular reference to immunosuppression.
The purpose of these presentations was to provide the Animal Procedures Committee with up to date information on the Imutran research programme and to facilitate consideration of applications from Imutran for project licence authorities under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Imutran was taken over by Novartis in April 1996. There have been no meetings with the Animal Procedures Committee by representatives from Novartis outside these two occasions.