Americans for Medical Progress
Encyclopedia
Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) is a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that aims to protect and advocate for society's investment in medical research. As a specific goal, AMP states that it promotes "public understanding of and support for the appropriate role of animals in biomedical research so that scientists are able to continue their quest for cures and improved methods of treatment for illness, injury and disease." Although in favor of moderate animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
measures, the AMP is often sharply critical of more radical animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
groups such as PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
and the similarly named Americans For Medical Advancement
Americans For Medical Advancement
Americans For Medical Advancement is a 501 science-based patient advocacy organization dedicated to improving policy and decision-making regarding the use of the animal model in biomedical research and drug testing. They oppose the use of animals only as models for predicting human response...
.
AMP issues the Albert. B. Sabin
Albert Sabin
Albert Bruce Sabin was an American medical researcher best known for having developed an oral polio vaccine.-Life:...
Hero of Science Award to honor leading medical scientists and advocates of biomedical research. Past recipients have included Dr. Sabin himself, Nobel laureate Joseph E. Murray, vaccine designer Maurice Hilleman
Maurice Hilleman
Maurice Ralph Hilleman was an American microbiologist who specialized in vaccinology and developed over three dozen vaccines, more than any other scientist...
, and herceptin developer Dennis Slamon
Dennis Slamon
Dennis Joseph Slamon, is an American oncologist and chief of the division of Hematology-Oncology at UCLA. He is best known for his work identifying the HER2/neu oncogene that is amplified in 25-33% of breast cancer patients and the resulting treatment Herceptin.He currently serves as director of...
, as well as opera legend Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
, actress Barbara Barrie
Barbara Barrie
Barbara Barrie is an American actress and author of children's books.-Personal life:Barrie was born as Barbara Ann Berman in Chicago, Illinois, of Jewish heritage, the daughter of Frances Rose and Louis Berman. She was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from University of Texas,...
, and former U. S. Representatives John E. Porter
John Edward Porter
John Edward Porter is a former United States Representative from Illinois.Porter was born in Evanston, Illinois, was educated in public schools, and then attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year before receiving a B.S. and B.A. from Northwestern University in 1957...
and Patricia Schroeder
Patricia Schroeder
Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder , American politician, was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado, serving from 1973 to 1997. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Colorado.- Early years :...
for their support and advocacy of medical research.
In Spring 2008 the organization awarded Tom Holder, the spokesman for Pro-Test
Pro-Test
Pro-Test is a British group that promotes and supports animal testing in medical research. It was founded on January 29, 2006 to counter SPEAK, an animal-rights campaign opposing the construction by Oxford University of a biomedical and animal-research facility, which SPEAK believes may include a...
, the Michael D. Hayre fellowship in public outreach. This allowed Holder to move to the US,, and with the support of AMP, set up Speaking of Research
Speaking of Research
Speaking of Research is a US-based group which actively supports the use of animals in biomedical research. It was founded in March, 2008 by Tom Holder, an "energetic young British activist who played an active role in the Pro-Test movement at the University of Oxford," who moved to the US for the...
a campus-oriented group supporting animal research with similar tactics to Pro-Test. In July 2009 AMP announced three new Hayre Fellows to work on local and national advocacy efforts.
In April 2009 Americans for Medical Progress launched the Pro-Test Petition in conjunction with Speaking of Research and UCLA Pro-Test. According to Holder the petition offered the public "[an] opportunity to show [their] support for the scientists and [their] opposition to the use of threats and violence". This petition, to defend animal research, is similar to The People's Petition
The People's Petition
The People's Petition was an online campaign to express support for medical experimentation using animals in the United Kingdom. Within a year of launch the number of signatures exceeded 21,850 and included Tony Blair, the then-serving Prime Minister....
which gained over 20,000 signatures in the United Kingdom. The Pro-Test Petition has accumulated over 10,000 signatures to date.