On 11 November 2025, the UK government launched its long-anticipated plan for supporting non-animal research approaches.
Standout measures include:
- A new £30 million centre for validating alternatives
- A “preclinical translational research hub” to bring together data, cell engineering, genomic technology, and expertise to create a pipeline of novel translational medicine models
- Exploiting data assets that are currently privately owned
- A cross-governmental ministerial committee of alternatives and an alternatives advisory committee overseen by the ASC
- Biennial public attitudes surveys
Welcoming the strategy, UAR CEO Wendy Jarrett said:
"This strategy sets out how the government will support the development and uptake of new non-animal technologies, which we fully support. In many cases these will give us entirely new capabilities and expand the toolbox available to researchers to answer previously difficult or unanswerable questions. In others it will allow us to further reduce the number of animals used. The strategy makes it very clear that animals have been fundamental to the discovery and development of most of the medicines that we have available to us today, and to preventing and treating disease in people, their pets, livestock and wild animals.
"The strategy is also realistic about the limitations of non-animal technologies, while noting the great potential for the UK to be a global leader in addressing some of those limitations and bringing new technologies into use in the future. This is a workable plan, likely to yield the greatest advantage from new opportunities while not undermining what we already have.
"UK law states that animals cannot be used in scientific research if there is a working, non-animal way of answering the question.
"Animals will continue to be needed for many years to come to protect humans, animals and the environment, study how the body works in health and in disease, and gauge how potential new medicines behave in whole, living organisms. I look forward to the day that we can phase out animals in scientific research, but I know that this will not be in my lifetime and, in the meantime, I’m pleased that the government is prioritising the development and phase-in of as many new non-animal tools as possible."
Government press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/animal-testing-to-be-phased-out-faster-as-uk-unveils-roadmap-for-alternative-methods
Last edited: 18 November 2025 16:34
