July 2013.- Member organizations of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), represented in Spain by Ngo ADDA will be holding a Week of Action in countries across Europe to protest against the continued use of mice in cruel poisoning tests for botulinum toxin, (commonly known as botox), despite the existence of an EU approved non-animal alternative.

Although there is now an EU ban on the manufacture and import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals, botox is not included because it is injected. This loophole in the EU law permits hundreds of thousands of mice to be used in cruel tests on this substance worldwide every year.

The U.S company Allergan has received the approval of US and European agencies for the use of a non-animal cell test method. In doing so, Allergan has shown that it is possible to replace the cruel mouse bioasssay. The cell method would need to be adjusted to the products of the manufacturers Merz and Ipsen, however, two years have passed since the approval without any progress. Botulinum toxin is produced by a bacterium (Clostridium botulinum), is one of the most powerful currently known poisons, it is highly dangerous. It must be diluted prior to application as a drug for humans. Although there have been unwanted side-effects. Botox is used for cosmetic purposes for the temporary treatment of wrinkles such as frown lines. Botox has become a huge business with hundreds of millions of euros, because the treatments must be repeated every 3-6 months.

Ngo ADDA considers it is "totally unacceptable that thousands of mice continue to suffer and die as a result of cruel toxicity tests of a product widely used for cosmetic purposes when there is an EU approved non-animal alternative testing method in existence. Together with our partners in the ECEAE, we urge the authorities and the companies to act and adopt alternative methods to these cruel botox tests.”