The UK government has announced a £22 million investment to support new projects aimed at reducing animal testing in scientific research. This initiative seeks to accelerate the development of new medicines and treatments by focusing on human biology-based testing methods.
A significant part of this investment includes £20 million for a new Pre-clinical Translational Models Hub in Cambridge. This hub will focus on growing miniature organs, or 'organoids', from human tissue donated by NHS patients. These models are designed to help researchers understand how a person might respond to a drug, complementing existing information from animal studies.
Additionally, Innovate UK is investing up to £2 million in nine other projects. These include developing beating heart cells in a dish, lab-grown human ear models, and using AI to predict how drugs move through the body. Science Minister Chris McDonald stated that this marks a significant step in the UK's move away from animal testing.
Official figures show that 2.54 million animal testing procedures were conducted in Great Britain in 2025, a 3.8% reduction compared to 2024. A further update on these figures is expected later this year.