FIV Cats-On-Meth Abandoned - Seventy-Six Cats Saved

The PR spin, attacks and outright falsehoods are coming in fast and furious from the biomedical and university community concerning Podell's stoppage of his FIV cats-on-methamphetamine experiment and his departure from Ohio State University. A brief history of P.O.E.T.'s actions regarding this experiment are discussed below:

Letters and e-mail

Upon first learning of this project in May 2000 at the OSU ILACUC (Institutional Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee) meeting, POET encouraged a letter and  e-mail campaign addressed to President Kirwan, ILACUC, and the federal agency (NIDA-National Institute on Drug Abuse) that funded this wasteful experiment. At no time did we ever suggest these letters of protest be directed to Podell. Our target was the experiment itself.

The most distressing allegation that is being directed toward activists is the alleged confrontation of Podell's children. We have no knowledge of anyone in P.O.E.T.'s  organization participating in such an act. My questions are: Who approached the children? Was this an adult or some other children at school? Was a police report filed? I know if someone confronted my children, I'd have done just that. Again, this is an action that is condemned by P.O.E.T.. Is this just sensationalism by the research supporters? If not, let's hear the details.

Peaceful protests, demonstrations, and leaflets

The first protest against the FIV cats-on-meth experiment was June 23, 2000. Since that time, we have held more than two dozen protests in our effort to stop this experiment.

We held protests at Bricker Hall (the Office of the President) and in front of the OSU veterinary school. We distributed information about the research and asked for vet student support. Privately, many vet students supported our stance, but none would go public for fear of repercussions from the University. What we consider our most effective protests were those that took place outside of the OSU veterinary clinic. As clients brought in their animals to be helped, they learned what was taking place in the backroom of the clinic, and most people didn't like it. We hope that this cut into the potential donor list for the university. A 120-hour fast took place at the corner of the vet school and clinic during the weekend of an OSU home football game.

Our protest went outside the university. We leafleted at the Palace theater when CATS came to town. We followed Kirwan to many public functions asking him to address the FIV cats-on-meth experiment. No answer. None from the university or Podell himself. A press release from OSU states: "While he (Podell) is willing to discuss the specifics of this ongoing research effort, he has decided not to respond to questions regarding his decision to use cats or the ethics of his experimental design."


The Experiment

From the beginning, the university, and now, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, have spun the goals of Podell's project.

It was not seeking a cure for AIDS, HIV, or FIV, or to lessen the impact on drug-addicted humans.

In the protocol submitted to ILACUC, no where do you find the word "cure." Podell clearly states his objective in his lay abstract: "The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of FIV infection and chronic meth with acute 'binges' on immune function and viral interaction, behavior, brain function, and brain damage."

In the NIDA grant application, Podell writes, "The goal is to elucidate on the effects and mechanisms of METH and HIV-1 interaction."

No cures, no vaccines, no benefits for cats or humans. But in his spin, Earle Holland, OSU director of research communications, says in a recent OSU Lantern article, "This work could lead to a solution of the third leading killer of cats." Would someone mind telling us how?

No cats on meth were used to develop a recently announced vaccine for FIV:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today (March 22, 2002) that it has issued a license to Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc. of Fort Dodge, Iowa, a division of Wyeth, formerly American Home  Products, Inc. for a vaccine intended to help prevent feline immunodeficiency virus in cats. This is the
first product available for this viral infection in cats."

 The Future

P.O.E.T. continues to monitor the use of animals in experimentation at The Ohio State University. We totally agree with Richard C. Simmonds, director of laboratory-animal medicine at the University and Community College Systems of Nevada, was quoted in a recent article from The Chronicle Of Higher Education as stating that:

"… most colleges should spend more time assessing the scientific merits of animal experiments and  making sure no alternatives exist to using animals as test subjects. 'If they truly lack merit, we shouldn't do them at all,' he says."

The FIV cats-on-meth protocol was without merit.

OSU hoped we would go away, but we didn't. And we won't. We will continue to be the voice for the animals regarding useless and unfounded experiments such as this one.

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