Medical tests often carried out on rats and mice could be carried out on insects after Danish company explores the field

A Funen-based company has recently taken a patent out on using grasshoppers as test subjects for chemical trials.

When medication is developed for humans it goes through a number of tests, with many drug companies using different biological models to conduct tests. In vivo models use time-consuming artificial means, while in vitro models use live animals.

But while rats and mice are common animal test subjects, Entomopharm has looked to insects as an alternative.

Peter Aadal Nielsen, chief executive of Entomopharm, said that tests of 15 approved medical drugs on grasshoppers have shown that the blood brain barrier of the insects acts in the same manner as that of humans, mice and rats.

Nielsen said he doesn’t expect the patent to bring in billions of kroner to the company, but he hopes it will be successful.

‘So we can say we have done something for scientific research.’