Areas of research
Animals are used in five main areas of biomedical research and product testing. The latest government figures, for 2010, show that animals were used in the following areas:
- Developing new treatments for diseases or ways of preventing disease 18%
- Basic biological and medical research 35%
- Breeding of laboratory animals (mostly for research and developing new treatments) 44%
- Developing new methods of diagnosis 1%
- Safety testing of non-medical products used in the home, agriculture and industry (no cosmetic or toiletries after 1998) 2%
Home Office Statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures in Great Britain