LONDON - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG is wary of increasing investment in Britain because of problems with animal rights activists, Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Vasella said in an interview published yesterday.
"We would hesitate to increase our exposure to it (animal activism)," Vasella told the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "It's a very serious matter. It's a big issue - big for the UK. It isn't just hurting the industry, it is hurting the country. It is a big deterrent when you are considering site locations."
Novartis has invested heavily in research and development in the UK, and has a specialist facility in Horsham, south of London.
The company has refused to sign a paper that was brought to it by animal rights pressure groups, guaranteeing that it would not use the controversial drugs-testing firm Huntingdon Life Sciences.
HLS has been at the centre of often violent protests by UK activists against testing of pharmaceuticals on animals, a process the industry says is essential to guarantee their safety.
"While we appreciate what the UK government does against this form of terrorism, it does not appear to be enough as there still are incidents," Vasella said.:
