Science Weekly Is it the beginning of the end for animal testing?
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Nov 27, 2025 The UK plans to drastically cut animal testing through a £75m investment in alternatives like AI and organ-on-chip technologies. Experts discuss the predominance of rodents, fish, and birds in research and the need to uphold scientific rigor while transitioning. Regulatory hurdles and training for new methods are critical concerns. There are exciting potential benefits, including reduced costs and improved drug development success rates, although complete phase-out remains a challenge due to reliance on traditional models.
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Scale And Regulation Of Animal Research
- In 2024 the UK recorded 2.64 million animal procedures, mostly rodents, fish and birds.
- Most work is tightly licensed and follows the three Rs: replace, reduce, refine.
Roadmap With Deadlines, Not Just Ambition
- The roadmap sets explicit timelines and targets to phase out many animal tests, not just an ambition.
- Examples include ending skin/eye irritation tests by next year and Botox potency tests by 2027.
What Can Replace Animals
- Replacement technologies include AI, organs-on-chip, and 3D‑printed human tissues for targeted tests.
- These approaches let researchers test human tissue responses more directly and with cleaner experimental control.