Felix-Wankel Animal Protection Research Award 2002 for a Scientist of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut

On 26th November 2002, together with Professor Dr. Coenraad Hendriksen (52), Dr. Klaus Cußler (46) of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut received the Felix Wankel Animal Protection Research Award. This award is grantend by RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgeezondheit Milieu en Natur) and is worth Euro 15,000. Another part of the award worth Euro 11,000 was granted to Dr. Thomas Bartels from Bern, Switzerland for his work on the breeding of animals with congenital disorders. The granting of the award took place in the gymnasium of Munich University

Mr. Cußler and Mr. Hendriksen, together with their colleagues and co-workers, significantly contributed to making the idea of animal protection and the so-called '3-R' an important feature of the quality control of vaccines. '3-R' stands for replacement, reduction and refinement of animal tests. With their own scientific work, both winners of the awards, together with their working groups, have created important conditions for bringing about changes in the animal tests required by law. These changes in the law have created clear improvements relevant for animal protection.

A descriptive example for the implementation of the '3-R concept' is the work by Prof. Hendrikson on tetanus vaccines, and that by Dr. Cußler on swine erysipela vaccines. Stress tests in small laboratory animals were previously required for the efficacy testing of these vaccines, involving up to one hundred animals per assay. More than half the animals died in these tests. The new test methods only require testing of blood samples from these laboratory animals. The injecting of lethal quantities of bacteria or toxins is eliminated entirely. This fulfils two of the '3-Rs': the number of animals required is reduced drastically (by up to 80%) => reduction, and the assay involves less suffering for the animals => refinement.

Prof. Johannes Löwer, President of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut was very pleased to state that "in his capacity as animal representative, Mr. Cussler was one of the founders of the research field of reduction and refinement of animal tests at the PEI. In the past few years, various working groups of the institute obtained results that won awards several times. With the Felix Wankel Animal Protection Research Award, a scientist or working group from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut has been given an award for this type of research for the 6th time now". He also indicated that both award winners were not simply content with developing methods for the replacement of animals, but in addition, in most cases made sure the new methods were validated in international collaborative studies. "Such collaborative studies", as Prof. Löwer explained, "are an important prerequisite for the new methods to be included in the statutory regulations".

The two scientists have started a new project: the European research association VACTRAIN. As from next spring, laboratory courses will be offered teaching alternative methods to animal tests in the quality control of vaccines. These served to obtain a broader use and faster implementation of existing alternatives at manufacturers and control authorities. Here You will find a press release on the first VACTRAIN Symposium which took place in Strasbourg on 7th and 8th November 2002.

The Felix Wankel Animal Protection Award is given annually by the Ludwig-Maximilians University at Munich for excellent innovative work in the field of developing alternative methods for animal tests and the general fostering of the idea of animal protection. Felix Wankel, known for having invented the 'Wankel engine' was also known for being very fond of animals in his private life. He founded the first German animal protection award to encourage scientists in specialised fields to work in research areas that serve the protection of animals. This award was given to scientists for the first time in 1972. The Felix Wankel Foundation is located in Heidelberg.

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