UK Government Unveils Plans to Phase Out Animal Testing by 2030

Tue Nov 11 2025 14:36:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a groundbreaking move, the UK government announces strategies to drastically reduce animal testing by adopting innovative scientific methods, with plans to eliminate some animal testing by the end of the year.

The UK government has announced a new initiative aimed at phasing out animal experiments by 2030. With goals to replace certain types of animal testing with advanced technologies including the use of human cells and AI, the initiative seeks to cut the use of animals in drug safety testing. Experts share mixed views on the feasibility of achieving 'near-zero' animal testing.

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.

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. Researchers here are developing organ-on-a-chip technology, mimicking how different organs work together.

The safety tests that the government says will no longer use animals by the end of this year include the pyrogen test, which will be replaced by a test using human immune cells. The proposals group animal tests into two main categories: those that could be immediately replaced and those that need further validation.

Ministers also promise increased funding for developing new alternatives, including £30m for a research hub. The RSPCA has cautiously welcomed the plan, seeing it as a significant step forward.

Experts remain divided on the implications of the initiative, with some expressing concerns over the complexities of biological research that cannot be easily replicated without animal testing.