Americans for Medical Advancement (AFMA) is a not-for-profit, science-based, patient advocacy organization dedicated to improving healthcare through biomedical research. It was founded by Ray and Jean Greek.[1]
The organization opposes the use of animals as causal analogical models,[2] or predictive models, for human response, and argues that using animals as a basis for the human response to drugs is not a safe method of development. [1] For example, efficacy testing, medical research, and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity) are results from animal-based research that were assumed predictive for humans. The organization is relentlessly trying to have a peer reviewed debate with the animal researchers community on Trans Species Modelling Theory, in order for it to get accepted by the entire scientific community and get mainstream.[3].It Is important to note that the most trivial consequence of Trans Species Modelling Theory is a defunding of animal tests and a massive increase in funds for preclinical human based animal free research. [4] AFMA is currently supporting the Parliamentary Early Day Motion 175 in UK[5],whose aim is a parliamentary peer reviewed scientific hearing on the validity of animal experiments when used to predict human response to drugs and disease[6]
Americans for Medical Advancement conducts its experiments through critical thinking and the use of evolutionary biology, complexity science, genetics, and personalized medicine.[1] None of these methods require testing on animals.
AFMA hopes to improve policy and decision-making regarding the use of the animal model in the testing of drugs and treatments for the safety of human use. The organization does not oppose the use of animals in other aspects of science, and stresses that it is not an animal rights group.
President, Ray Greek MD, says, “There are areas where animals are very useful in science and areas where they are not,” and that the organization “explores the differences between the two.”[7] What sets it apart is that it focuses “on the harm that is done to humans” and that animal protectionists are concerned about the harm done to animals.