The United Kingdom has unveiled a detailed plan that envisages the gradual replacement of animal testing with new laboratory methods. By the end of 2025, it is planned to abandon some basic safety tests, and by 2030, to reduce the use of dogs and primates by at least 35%.
This is reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
The government announced that by the end of this year, some tests, including pyrogen testing of drugs, will no longer be performed on animals. They will be replaced by a test using human immune cells in a dish. Experiments involving animals to test medical drugs for dangerous microbes will also be stopped.
Between 2026 and 2035, the government plans to expand the use of alternatives. To this end, a Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods will be created and additional funding will be allocated, including £30 million for a research center.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said he could imagine a day when the use of animals in science would be almost completely stopped, but acknowledged that it would take time:
"I think it's possible, but it's not possible in the near future. Can we get closer to it? I think we can. And we absolutely must do it."
The RSPCA called the plan "a significant step forward" and urged the government to implement it. At the same time, some scientists warn against a too rapid transition to alternatives.
Professor Frances Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute noted that a complete abandonment of animals in experiments is not yet possible:
"These non-animal methods will never replace the complexity we can observe when a tumor grows in a whole organism, such as a mouse."
Professor Robin Lovell-Badge also expressed concern:
"What about the brain and behavior? How can you study behavior in a Petri dish? You just can't."
The British government emphasizes that it seeks to gradually reduce the use of animals in science while maintaining high standards of safety and research quality. Government plans include not only new technologies but also close cooperation with scientists, industry, and the public on the path to more humane science.
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