Summary
The government plans to stop using animals for some safety tests by 2025. It aims to reduce animal testing by replacing it with new lab methods using human cells and technology. The change is part of an effort to phase out animal testing over time.
Key Facts
- The government will stop animal testing for some safety tests by the end of 2025.
- There is a goal to cut the use of dogs and non-human primates in testing for human medicines by at least 35% by 2030.
- New methods for testing include using animal tissues grown from stem cells, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer simulations.
- In 2015, the UK had 4.14 million animal experiments, which dropped to 2.88 million by 2020.
- The Centre for Predictive in vitro Models at Queen Mary University is developing "organ-on-a-chip" technology to mimic human organs for tests.
- Some experts believe phasing out animal tests completely is a long way off due to safety concerns.
- The Labour Party supports the movement to phase out animal testing through collaboration with scientists and industry.
- The use of human cell-based testing may improve research quality due to better simulation of human responses.
