Swiss voters have overwhelmingly approved limited stem cell research using human embryos, but ruled out cloning.
Two-thirds of Swiss voters participating in a referendum Sunday affirmed a law passed by the Swiss parliament last year.
The government had urged voters to accept the law. Officials argued it put clear limits on the use of embryos and stem cells, while allowing research to go ahead that might lead to cures for a variety of diseases.
Switzerland is home to major international pharmaceutical companies.
A coalition of mainly of anti-abortion and religious groups had called for a repeal of the law, arguing that stem cell research with human embryos involves taking a life.
Other European nations have adopted similar laws, with Britain giving wider scope to researchers.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.