IRENE Fogarty (Letters, February 19) is presumably healthy and can therefore afford to be against the use of animals in medical research.

But what about the millions whose lives depend upon prescription medicines? Or those who need medical research to continue? Don't they deserve something better than her emotional propaganda?

The fact is that all modern prescription medicines are developed and tested with the help of animal studies.

And I am not simply talking of the legally required animal testing before human clinical trials. I am referring to the research and development which is conducted in the fundamental stages of drug discovery.

Where there is no legal requirement to use animals, they are used because it is the only way to find out what happens in a living body.

If anyone should disagree with me, then please name me an available prescription medicine that has been developed without any animal research.

Seriously Ill for Medical Research is a patients group which supports the humane use of animals and genetic technology where necessary in medical research. Our members suffer from illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and many, many more.

We are willing to stand up and support research aimed at improving our health. For a free information pack please write to SIMR, PO Box 504, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 2LU (www.simr.org.uk; e-mail info@simr.org.uk)

THOMAS BROMLEY, PO Box 3126, Littlehampton, West Sussex.