UK Government Outlines Ambitious Plan to Phase Out Animal Testing

Tue Nov 11 2025 15:14:58 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

New government initiatives aim to reduce and eventually eliminate animal testing in the UK, focusing on innovative alternatives and ethical practices in scientific research.

The UK government has unveiled a plan to phase out animal testing, aiming to stop certain major safety tests on animals by the end of 2025. Notably, the initiative will reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in medical testing by at least 35% by 2030. Science Minister Lord Vallance emphasizes the gradual transition to alternatives, like human cell-based experiments and organ-on-a-chip technology, while experts express caution about the feasibility and safety implications of this ambitious timeline.

The government has detailed for the first time how it aims to fulfil its manifesto pledge to work toward phasing out animal testing.

The new plans include replacing animal testing for some major safety tests by the end of this year and cutting the use of dogs and non-human primates in tests for human medicines by at least 35% by 2030.

The Labour Party said in its manifesto that it would partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing.

Science Minister Lord Vallance told BBC News that he could imagine a day where the use of animals in science was almost completely phased out but acknowledged that it would take time.

Animal experiments in the UK peaked at 4.14 million in 2015 driven mainly by a big increase then in genetic modification experiments – mostly on mice and fish.

By 2020, the number had fallen sharply to 2.88 million as alternative methods were developed. But since then that decline has plateaued.

Lord Vallance wants to re-ignite the fast downward trend by replacing animal testing with experiments on animal tissues grown from stem cells, AI, and computer simulations.

According to the government’s newly detailed plans, by the end of 2025, scientists will stop using animals for some major safety tests and switch to newer lab methods that use human cells instead.

One of the world's leading centres for developing alternatives to animal testing is the Centre for Predictive in vitro Models (CPM) at Queen Mary University of London. They are developing organ-on-a-chip technology, which connects tiny samples of human cells to mimic how different organs work together for testing purposes.

Safety tests that will no longer use animals include the practice of giving rabbits a small dose of a new drug, which will be replaced by tests using human immune cells. Between 2026 and 2035, the government plans to speed up non-animal techniques

While the proposals have been cautiously welcomed by organizations like the RSPCA, some scientists warn that moving too fast toward alternatives may hinder important medical and scientific research.