UK unveils plan to cut animal experiments
London, (EFE).
The British government unveiled on Tuesday a plan to phase out medical experiments on animals, starting with the elimination of some tests on mice for skin treatments by the end of 2026 and a 35 percent reduction in the use of dogs and primates by 2030.
According to a statement released by the British Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology, the first experiments to be phased out will be those conducted to develop treatments for skin and eye irritations.
The government noted that this plan fulfills an election promise made by the Labour Party, which last year committed to collaborating with scientists to phase out medical and pharmaceutical experimentation on animals.
Experiments in the UK peaked in 2015 with 4.14 million animals used, driven by an increase in genetic modification experiments, particularly on mice and fish.
In 2020, the figure fell to 2.88 million due to the development of alternative methods, but since then, the decline has stalled.
According to the Ministry of Innovation, the plan also aims to support researchers in taking advantage of new emerging opportunities and replacing animal testing, which is still used to determine the safety of products such as vaccines or the impact that chemicals such as pesticides can have on people and the environment, with other methods.
Secretary of State for Science Patrick Vallance said that no one in the UK wants to see animal suffering.
“Our plan will support work to end animal testing wherever possible and roll out alternatives as soon as it is safe and effective to do so. This is a roadmap which will ensure government, businesses and animal welfare groups can work together to find alternatives to animal testing faster and more effectively,” he said
The strategy has 67 million euros in funding to create a center that will bring together data, technology, and expertise to foster collaboration among researchers.
