The future of science is animal-free – will the UK catch up?
3 min read
On 10 April, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they were taking the groundbreaking step to phase out animal testing for a certain kind of medicine (known as monoclonal antibody therapies), to ultimately be followed by other drugs.
This bold move by one of the world’s largest public health agencies, which will see the US adopt more animal-free alternatives, signals a more humane and more innovative future for the development of new drugs. Here in the UK, however, no such intention has been formalised, and animal testing is still the default approach.
It’s an uncomfortable truth; we’re a nation of animal lovers, yet more than 2.6 million animals continue to suffer in our laboratories each year. Dogs are the country’s favourite companion, but around 2,400 of them are experimented on in the name of science. This week I led a debate in Parliament on the use of dogs in experiments, after thousands of people signed a petition calling for change.
Groundbreaking technologies, which completely replace the use of animals in laboratories, already exist and currently are being used by forward-thinking scientists. We have organ-on-a-chip technologies that mimic the functions of human organs and tissues. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already helping to accelerate and improve everything from data analysis to disease diagnosis and has the potential to revolutionise drug design. Scientists are also growing complex 3D cell structures - called spheroids and organoids - that behave like human tissues and organs, which are being used to study diseases and test drugs.
I’ve already seen some of these innovations first-hand. As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Phasing Out Animal Experiments in Medical Research, I recently visited Animal Free Research UK’s Animal Replacement Centre of Excellence (ARC) at Queen Mary University of London. I met researchers who are revolutionising human skin testing without the use of animals, in tests which are already providing better results for patients. I heard how using animal-free methods is helping us to better understand how cancer cells spread and invade other organs of the human body, and how animal-free next-generation 3D tissues and disease models are being used in biomedical research.
For decades, animal testing has been seen as the “gold standard.” But it’s a flawed one. Animals are not miniature humans. Our biology, genetics, and physiology are fundamentally different, so why do we continue to conduct experiments that cost the lives of animals while providing results that can’t be reliably translated to people?
There is growing support within the scientific community to adopt these more human-specific, animal-free alternatives, however, political leadership is needed if we are to keep up with other countries who are already taking action to move away from animal experiments.
Not only is there growing cross-party support for the UK to start moving away from animal research, but I regularly hear from constituents who have concerns about animal welfare and want the same change. I support Animal Free Research UK’s calls for the Government to introduce Herbie’s Law. Named after a beagle dog who was bred for the laboratory, Herbie’s Law would set a goal of replacing animals in medical research in the UK by 2035, replacing them with humane, effective alternatives and supporting the scientific community with the transition.
Labour’s manifesto said they will partner with scientists, industry, and civil society to work towards phasing out animal testing. Herbie’s Law provides a practical plan for this manifesto commitment to be realised, while championing new, more humane, scientific approaches. This will provide a chance for the UK to lead globally in both scientific innovation and animal welfare.
The choice before us is simple: we can continue to cling to outdated methods - or we can lead the world in building a healthier, kinder future.
