“Our QSAR foundation works to create the virtual world of
toxicology in animal testing so that we can have safer foods, safer
homes, factories, and drugs without killing billions of animals.”
IQF’s
work “blends computer science, biology, and chemistry to find
correlations between chemical structure and biological effects,”
as described in the PCRM event program. “IQF’s vision is to
reduce reliance on animal tests without loss of public safety.”
QSARs,
short for quantitative structure-activity relationships, function as
models to predict the side effects of chemicals, eliminating the need
to test on animals.
“Dr. Veith believes that the need for
reliable alternatives to animal testing is an important moral animal
welfare issue,” according to the PCRM, “but that the need
does not stop there.” Other problems include the facts that
government authorities only have time to adequately evaluate a small
fraction of the animal test data for new chemicals being marketed, and
that costs for animal testing are very high and rising.
Veith
said he has worked with scientists from over 30 countries in creating a
QSAR Application Toolbox. “This is a set of software that can be
used by government regulators to screen chemicals,” he explained.
“It is held now in the public domain by the Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. This is freely available
to all governments of the world, all industries of the world, and all
researchers, to help them in screening chemicals so that you
don’t have to do animal testing.”
“Despite all
these huge savings of cost for testing chemicals, industries have been
very slow to support this technology for a variety of reasons,”
said Veith. “As an advocate for new technology and chemical
regulation, the QSAR Foundation’s position is often quite lonely.
We are caught between the regulators and the regulated industry. This
award just renews our determination to reduce animal testing.”
The
award was presented to Veith by the physician for whom it is named, Dr.
Henry J. Heimlich, inventor of the world-renown Heimlich Maneuver, a
first aid technique credited with saving countless thousands of choking
victims.
“I am humbled by this experience,” said
Veith. “It’s so exciting to be here at this 25th
anniversary gala, and to meet Dr. Heimlich, but also to meet so many
people who’ve done so much for medicine. I find this to be a
highlight of my career, certainly for accepting his award, and for
having it presented by Dr. Heimlich.”
Veith thanked PCRM and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for guidance and support, and the European Commission (the executive body of the European Union) for partial funding.
Other recipients of PCRM awards on Saturday were:
BENJAMIN SPOCK AWARD
Baxter D. Montgomery, M.D., F.A.C.C. of the Houston Cardiac Association and HCA Wellness Center
For
developing a “nutritional boot camp” to help patients break
unhealthy habits, and advocating the power of a plant-based diet
ART OF COMPASSION AWARD
Robert L. “Skip” Trimble, attorney
For his work on behalf of animals, including developing low-cost spay/neuter programs for dogs and cats; performing pro bono
legal work for animal groups including the Animal Legal Defense Fund;
helping form the animal law section of the State Bar of Texas.
ART OF COMPASSION AWARD
Ellen DeGeneres, Portia De Rossi, Marilu Henner. Alicia Silverstone
Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is the author of 17 novels for
publishers including Avon, E.P. Dutton, and Simon & Schuster, and
hundreds of articles for publications such as National Geographic
Traveler, San Francisco Chronicle, and Veggie Life. She wrote a
teleplay for CBS and short fiction for The Bark magazine. With coauthor
Shelley Frost, she wrote Your Adopted Dog
(The Lyons Press). Holding a B.A. in Environmental Science Studies and
a lifelong interest in animal issues, she spends a lot of her time
battling a severe addiction to dogs.
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