The Humane Society of the United States alleged last month that Inotiv is neglecting animals at a research facility in Indiana that conducts toxicity testing of experimental drugs. The company has been in the spotlight in recent months for serious animal welfare violations at its Virginia beagle breeding facility, prompting a crackdown by lawmakers in that state and an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Inotiv, a major supplier of large laboratory animals, said in a statement that it takes all allegations seriously but does not agree with the claim. The Indiana facility conducts research to the highest ethical standards and complies with all animal welfare regulations, according to a company representative.
An undercover investigator who worked at the facility for 7 months, until March, observed severely sick beagles and monkeys, some wailing in pain, that were not promptly assessed or treated by the facility's lone vet. The investigator reported that minipigs with limbs that may have been broken by careless workers were not assessed or treated because they were due to be euthanized in up to 6 days. The monkeys hanged themselves in the chairs.
There wasn't enough staff at Inotiv to handle the most mundane of tasks, such as trimming dogs, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
The group says it has filed a complaint with the USDA, which is responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act.
Eric Kleiman, a researcher at the Animal Welfare Institute, says that the investigation raises questions about animal welfare and good laboratory practice.
Inotiv is dedicated to providing the best care possible in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act and other applicable regulations and guidelines according to its statement. We immediately investigate and implement any corrective actions that are raised.
Inotiv said the facility in Mount Vernon, Indiana, has been involved in developing drugs that cured or alleviated more than 44 diseases over the last 30 years.
The company did not respond to the allegations. The staff to animals ratio at the seven-building facility was not provided according to the 2021, USDA annual report. Inotiv said that the ratio is optimal to provide the best care possible under the auspices of the Animal Welfare Act.
In an investor call on 12 May, Inotiv CEO Robert Leasure said the company is making improvements at several of its facilities to enhance animal welfare.
The USDA declined comment because of an ongoing investigation at the Virginia beagle breeding facility. A USDA investigation is the first step in a process that can lead to revocation of a company's breeding license or cancellation of its research registration. USDA inspectors have found no AWA violations in annual on-site assessments of the Indiana research facility.
Inotiv, which has 2000 employees at 16 sites in the United States and six sites in Europe, has been aggressively building its business as a supplier of large laboratory animals to U.S. researchers. Over the past year it has acquired several companies, including a large supplier of beagles, rabbits, nonhuman primates, and other animals. According to the most recent USDA reports, Inotiv now owns more than 61,000 animals. Charles River Laboratories has about 71,000 animals in its files with the USDA. The numbers exclude mice and rats, which are not regulated under the AWA.
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