Government launches bold new plan to replace animal testing

We applaud the government’s bold new strategy working towards ending the suffering of animals in laboratories and promote human-relevant science. 

The strategy, ‘Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods’, marks a strong early step, demonstrating the ambition, governance, leadership and focus required to lay the foundations for delivering the government’s 2024 manifesto commitment to phase-out the use of animals in science. There is much to be positive about but success will ultimately hinge on strong delivery and sustained leadership from government. 

The inclusion of clear targets and milestones is the cornerstone of the strategy and will drive forward these plans. The promise of increased funding for the development of non-animal methods is also key in bringing about the fundamental and permanent changes necessary to end animal testing.   

The strategy promises to:   

• Form a cross-governmental Ministerial group on alternative methods, chaired by the Science Minister   

• Publish qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators to monitor progress in delivering the strategy’s objectives, with a publicly available progress dashboard, by 2026   

• Create a preclinical translational models hub, supported by £30 million of government funding, by the end of 2026   

• Seize opportunities to replace regulatory animal tests used to evaluate impacts on human health and the environment, covering medicines, chemicals, consumer products, food, and pesticides   

• Support the validation of new methods, creating a UK centre for the validation of alternative methods (UKCVAM)   

• Supply guidance permitting medicines trials based on non-animal data where relevant preclinical animal models don’t exist, by the end of 2026   

• Reduce pharmacokinetic studies on dogs and non-human primates, by at least 35% by 2030   

• Collect data on the use of second species testing for medicines   

• Work collaboratively with partners and researchers, and work to streamline regulations   

• Provide training in non-animal methods for early career researchers, publish research priorities and promote funding for research on non-animal approaches  

• Support the upskilling of regulatory assessors and enable engagement between regulators and companies to support the application of non-animal approaches  

• Position the UK as a world leader in regulatory testing underpinned by modern and humane non-animal methods  

• Set time-bound commitments to end specific regulatory toxicity tests on animals, including to:   

• Fully replace the rabbit pyrogen test by the end of 2025   

• End skin and eye irritation and corrosion testing on animals by the end of 2026   

• Fully replace skin sensitisation testing on animals by the end of 2026    

• End Botox potency tests on mice by 2027     

• End selected batch tests for contamination of human medicines by 2027   

These five tests feature in our Replace Animal Tests (RAT) list, a list of animal tests where established non-animal approaches already exist. We have long called for immediate work to end these particular tests on animals as a matter of urgency. 

Encouragingly, the government’s press release ahead of the publication of the strategy indicated that there would be a total of £75 million funding dedicated to bringing forward new testing methods as well as the creation of a new collaboration hub. Only the spending for the latter, at £30 million, was explicitly stated in the strategy itself. 

We will be seeking clarity from the government to confirm the scope and scale of new funding committed as part of this strategy – but welcome the strategy, and the government’s willingness to pursue its manifesto commitment. 

The strategy makes many welcome promises, many of which we have long called for, and we will continue to scrutinise government actions to ensure accountability and full delivery of the plans. We remain available to partner with the government on this strategy and share the responsibility for its implementation.   

Home Office statistics show that there were 2.64 million uses of animals in laboratories in Great Britain in 2024, a meagre fall of just 2% from 2023. Of these uses, 19% (488,255 animals) were considered by researchers to have caused moderate or severe pain and suffering to the animals involved, including long-term disease and even death. Animals used in testing include dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits and horses.   

The British public have long supported an end to animal testing. Our 2021 YouGov survey showed that 65% of participants wanted to see a plan to phase out animal experiments with a target date set for ending tests in the UK. 

Our Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Dr Emma Grange, said: “We warmly welcome this strategy as a long overdue but very exciting move towards ending the cruelty of animal testing in the UK, which we also expect to have a positive impact globally. It is a strong step forward and shows that the government is listening to scientists and the public, to uphold its own promise to work towards phasing out animal experiments. 

The commitments to funding, regulatory reform, and measurable targets are exactly the kind of leadership we need and marks a serious move towards alleviating the suffering caused by the millions of animal tests which happen every year in this country. 

We continue to call for a clear route for collaboration and partnership with key players, such as animal protection organisations, and actionable proposals for regulatory reform to make these proposals concrete. Success also depends on strong delivery and leadership from government, but this is a positive first step. We look forward to working with Ministers, regulators, researchers and industry to ensure this strategy delivers the transformation it promises, and will continue our work to drive progress across successive governments to come.”