Gillian Anderson: End unnecessary animal testing!

The X-Files star Gillian Anderson has written a letter to an Indian official in hopes to end unnecessary animal testing in the country.

The 47-year-old American-English actress is currently in Jodhpur, India filming upcoming drama Viceroy's House alongside Hugh Bonneville.

During her stay there she has teamed up with the Indian branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to reach out to a leading politician.

She penned a note to the Indian Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, asking for a change to legislation to stop animals being subjected to certain toxicology experiments.

"India holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, but especially for its cultural reverence for animals," she wrote, according to The Indian Express. "(R)ats, rabbits, primates, dogs and other animals used for drug testing are confined to barren cages. They are forced to ingest or inhale drugs or have them smeared on their skin or put in their eyes.”

Gillian emphasised there is legitimate support behind her request to end animal testing of this kind in India.

The star made it clear entire organisations are against exposing these creatures to toxic chemicals.

“I was so pleased to hear from my friends at PETA that the Drugs Technical Advisory Board operating under your Ministry agrees that animals should not have to undergo cruel tests for new drug registrations when complete data from earlier toxicity experiments already exist for drugs that have been approved abroad,” Gillian noted.

“I therefore respectfully request that you move this process along by amending the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, immediately in order to stop redundant drug testing.”