'Long overdue' move to end cruelty of animal testing hailed by campaigners
Campaigners have welcomed a “long overdue but very exciting move towards ending the cruelty of animal testing in the UK”.
The Labour Party made a manifesto commitment to partner with scientists and industry to work towards phasing out the use of live animals, and has now released a strategy, including clear targets and milestones towards that goal.
However the end of animal testing could still be many years away.
The latest official data reveals 2.64 million scientific procedures on live animals were carried out in England, Scotland, and Wales in 2024.
Nearly one in five (488,255 animals) were considered by researchers to have caused moderate or severe pain and suffering, including long-term disease and even death.
Animals used in testing include dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits and horses.
The plan sets deadlines for stopping ending skin and eye irritation and corrosion testing on animals by the end of 2026.
By 2027 researchers are expected to end tests of the strength of Botox on mice (52,213 in 2024) and to use only DNA-based lab methods for detecting viruses or bacteria that might accidentally contaminate medicines.
By 2030 it will also cut pharmacokinetic studies – which track how a drug moves through the body over time – on dogs and non-human primates by at least 30 per cent.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Nobody in our country of animal lovers wants to see suffering and our plan will support work to end animal testing wherever possible and roll out alternatives as soon as it is safe and effective to do so.”
The government said a total of £75 million funding would be dedicated to bringing forward new testing methods as well as the creation of a new collaboration hub.
Cruelty Free International said while they were “probably some way off consigning animal testing to the past”, the announcement was more positive than expected.
They now hope to see larger decreases in the use of animals compared to the “glacial” progress of recent years.
It is believed that MBR's Grimston site in East Yorkshire still breeds animals for scientific research.
There was no response to a request for information to MBR.
CFI Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Dr Emma Grange, said: “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.”
Wendy Jarrett, CEO of Understanding Animal Research, said the strategy "makes it very clear that animals have been fundamental to the discovery and development of most of the medicines that we have available to us today”.
She said the strategy was realistic about the limitations of non-animal technologies, adding: “I look forward to the day that we can phase out animals in scientific research, but I know that this will not be in my lifetime.”