Purpose: The study aims to present the main ethical dilemmas that research on animals raised for anyone involved in this process, starting from the idea that there are rights of animals to be known and respected.
Background: The evolution of medicine is inextricably linked to the production of new drugs, the occurrence of surgical techniques; none of these can be possible without the study of experimental animals, in vivo experimentation being part of the process of medical research.
Content: The article analyzes the main ethical dilemmas related to the use of animals in medical research, in the current legislative context and historical perspective of achieving such studies.
Discussion and conclusions: The use of animals in medical research must be conducted in accordance with clearly established moral rules, which facilitate reducing to the maximum the negative effects on the animals, avoiding unnecessary suffering to them and especially to facilitate progress achievement with the minimum possible animals sacrificed.