UK Government Announces Plan to Phase Out Animal Testing

Tue Nov 11 2025 15:12:04 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant move, the UK government has unveiled its plan to phase out animal testing, aiming to reduce the use of non-human subjects in medical research and introduce alternative methods.

The UK government has laid out an ambitious plan to phase out animal testing, which includes replacing animal testing for major safety tests by the end of 2025, potentially reducing the use of dogs and non-human primates in research by 35% over the next few years. The initiative is part of a broader commitment to promote alternative research methodologies, with both support and concerns expressed by various stakeholders in the scientific community.

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.

Lord Vallance expressed a desire to reignite this downward trend by replacing animal testing with experiments on animal tissues grown from stem cells, AI, and computer simulations.

According to the government's 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. Some researchers, however, caution against eliminating animal models prematurely.

The RSPCA has cautiously welcomed the plan, describing it as a significant step forward, but urges the government to ensure the promised changes are delivered.