UK Government Unveils Ambitious Plan to End Animal Testing

Tue Nov 11 2025 14:00:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The UK government reveals a comprehensive strategy to phase out animal testing, aiming for a significant reduction in the use of laboratory animals by 2030.

In a groundbreaking move, the UK government has detailed its plans to phase out animal testing, aiming to eliminate such practices for certain safety tests by the end of this year. This includes a 35% reduction in the use of dogs and non-human primates by 2030. Although the initiative has received cautious encouragement from animal welfare advocates, it also faces skepticism from some scientists who warn of the challenges involved in completely replacing animal models with alternatives.

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. By 2020, the number had fallen sharply to 2.88 million as alternative methods were developed. Lord Vallance stated that he wants to reignite this downward trend by using alternatives like experiments on cells, AI, and computer simulations.

By the end of 2025, scientists will stop using animals for some major safety tests and switch to modern lab methods utilizing human cells. This includes replacing traditional tests, such as the pyrogen test on rabbits, with methods that rely on human immune cells.

Research institutions, like the Centre for Predictive in vitro Models at Queen Mary University of London, are at the forefront of developing these alternative methods, including the innovative 'organ-on-a-chip' technology.

While the RSPCA has welcomed the initiative as a significant step forward, some scientists voice concerns over the potential implications for scientific research and medicine.