- Labour Government vows to replace animal tests with safe and effective alternative methods wherever possible
- Strategy developed by government with life sciences specialists, the life sciences industry and animal welfare organisations, delivering on Labour’s manifesto commitment
- New £75m funding will help bring forward new testing methods for products that can save lives and make path to regulation clearer for researchers
Regularly hearing from constituents their concerns over animal testing and animal welfare, city MP Stephen Morgan has been raising issues with ministers who have now announced plans to accelerate the development and adoption of safe and effective alternative methods.
This will speed up the phasing-out of animal testing in all but exceptional circumstances, delivering on the pledge made in Labour’s manifesto at the last election.
The Labour government’s comprehensive roadmap backs researchers to seize on new and developing opportunities to replace certain animal tests, which are currently still used to determine the safety of products like life-saving vaccines and the impact chemicals like pesticides can have on living beings and the environment.
The new strategy recognises that phasing out the use of animals in science can only happen where reliable and effective alternative methods, with the same level of safety for human exposure, can replace them.
By working in tandem with partners, backing researchers with new funding and streamlining regulation, the plan will enable teams to pivot safely to methods like:
- Organ-on-a-chip systems – tiny devices that mimic how human organs work using real human cells.
- Greater use of AI to analyse huge amounts of information about molecules to predict whether new medicines will be safe and work well on humans.
- 3D bioprinted tissues could create realistic human tissue samples, from skin to liver, for testing – providing lifelike environments for studying human biology and checking if substances are toxic.
The plan sets out specific commitments for the coming years, marking it out as one of the most detailed of its kind in the world and opening up new opportunities for the UK to lead on unearthing alternatives to phase out animal tests while growing our economy.
This includes an end to regulatory testing on animals to assess the potential for new treatments to cause skin and eye irritation and skin sensitisation by the end of 2026.
By 2027 researchers are expected to end tests of the strength of Botox on mice and to use only DNA-based lab methods for adventitious agent testing of human medicines – the process for detecting viruses or bacteria that might accidentally contaminate medicines.
By the end of 2030 it will also reduce pharmacokinetic studies – which track how a drug moves through the body over time – on dogs and non-human primates.
As one of the most detailed strategies in the world, the plan aims to establish the UK as a world leader in developing and adopting alternatives to animal testing while growing our economy.
Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“I am delighted that the government has listened to my constituents and is taking strong action to phase out animal testing.
“Portsmouth is full of animal lovers like myself, and I know this concerned many people in our city.
With far too little funding under the Tories, it meant we were missing out on opportunities to do innovative research. Under this Labour government, we will establish the UK as a world leader in developing and adopting alternatives to animal testing.
“This new strategy will make a huge difference in speeding up our move from animal testing to safe and effective alternatives. Not only will Labour’s plan protect animals, but it will also ensure we continue to innovate and develop life-saving products while growing the economy.”
Developed by government with close consultation from life sciences experts, businesses and animal welfare organisations, the plan will deliver on the Labour Government’s manifesto commitment to improve animal welfare by partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society to phase out of animal testing.
Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, 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.
“This is a roadmap which will ensure government, businesses and animal welfare groups can work together to find alternatives to animal testing faster and more effectively.”
The strategy is backed by £75m of funding, including money for a hub that will bring together data, technology and expertise to promote collaboration between researchers and a separate new centre to make the path to regulatory approval for new alternatives as straightforward as possible.
Alongside the new plan, £15.9m has been committed by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Innovate UK and the Wellcome Trust to advance promising ‘human in vitro models’.
This includes organ-on-a-chip systems so researchers can test how drugs affect people without using animals, while also unearthing results more relevant to humans. Five teams across the UK will focus on models to replicate the human liver, brain, cancer, pain and blood vessels.
The Government is also committed to supporting validation to ensure that scientific and technical advances lead to a faster transition away from animal use – with robust targets underscoring the need to bring these alternatives forward as soon as they are viable.
This could also benefit, for example, cosmetics companies, as while animal testing is banned for cosmetic products, it will potentially open up new opportunities to test potential products which cannot currently be.
The strategy will be overseen by a committee, chaired by Lord Vallance and involving other government ministers and departments, regulators and funders. Key performance indicators will be published next year to monitor progress.
Other commitments as part of the Strategy include:
- Providing foundational training in alternative methods for early career researchers from next year.
- Publishing lists of research priorities for alternative methods at least every two years, starting in 2026.
- Strengthening the commitment of research funders to alternative methods and increase visibility of available alternatives, including through academic journals.
Positioning the UK as a global leader in the regulation of alternative.
