A UK patients' advocate group has attacked anti-vivisection activists, alleging—in a report published last week—that they mislead the public and fail to invest in research designed to find alternatives to animal research.

The report, Anti-vivisection Unmasked, was published by the UK charity Seriously Ill for Medical Research. Its membership includes patients—many of whom are seriously ill with a range of conditions including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis—and their relatives and carers. The charity's medical panel comprises several leading researchers including Professor Roy Calne and Professor Robert Winston.

The report argued that some anti-vivisection groups use “tactics of deception” designed to manipulate …