扒哥吃瓜

New projects to move UK science away from animal testing听鈥� vital to the safety and sustainability of our environment 鈥� will unlock new tests for products听that听can听help products reach听market听more quickly and save lives.听

A听dedicated national research hub and听nine听new听high-tech projects听will develop better ways to test medicines on human biology rather than animals. It means听treatments for听conditions听like cancer听and听inflammatory bowel disease听could be developed faster and more precisely - helping patients across the UK, while moving science away from traditional animal testing.听

The latest figures show听there were 2.54 million animal testing procedures in听Great Britain in 2025,听down 3.8%听on听2024. With a further update due to be released later this year, the UK is now moving to听capitalise听on that momentum.听

Announced by Science Minister Chris McDonald today听(Wednesday 12th August),听a听new听Pre-clinical听Translational听Models Hub,听based听in Cambridge听and backed by听拢20 million in Government funding,听will lead听work to听build and share听models of听human tissue听-听grown from听NHS听patients听-听to test听new treatments.听听

The new hub听will accelerate the development of testing on听鈥榦rganoids鈥�:听tiny, simplified versions of a human gut,听tumour听or brain, using cells donated by patients.听Because they听retain听crucial听features of a听patient鈥檚 own biology,听they听will help researchers听learn听how a听real听person听may听respond to听a drug听-听providing听additional insights that can complement information听currently听obtained from听animals.听听

Scientists in universities and drug companies will听then听be able to听use these听cutting-edge听techniques听in their own labs听to work out which medicines are worth pursuing听鈥� slashing the time it takes to get potentially life-changing treatments to market.

Science Minister Chris McDonald said:

Today marks another significant step forward in the UK鈥檚 move away from animal testing in science and research.听听

This is all about听backing听our world-leading researchers听and innovators听to improve lives,听giving them the tools they need to听deliver more effective treatments for horrendous diseases like cancer,听while also preventing the need for animal testing wherever possible.听

It鈥檚 also a boost for our life sciences听sector 鈥� with British firms听using samples donated by real people and harnessing听AI to predict how a medicine behaves听鈥撎齠uelling听opportunities for new investment and new jobs,听and ensuring Britain is better off.

Alongside the funding for the new Hub,听Innovate UK is investing up to 拢2 million听on听nine听cutting-edge听projects听aimed at听identifying听new methods of animal-free scientific testing. From听beating heart cells in a dish听to听lab-grown human ear models and AI that predicts how medicines move through the body,听many of听the projects听target the safety studies that still rely on dogs and monkeys.听

At CN Bio, the team听is听building tiny working versions of human organs that are small enough to fit on a microscope slide. These complex models allow researchers to better understand how a new drug moves through and interacts with the body 鈥� providing听a new approach听to pre-clinical research that previously relied solely on animal testing.听

Meanwhile,听Vivosphere听UK听is听building on听their work growing听tumour听and liver models to develop听human heart tissue in the lab, meaning they can听spot dangerous side effects from treatments early.听

Promising听early-stage听projects听like these听are听foundational to听the听UK鈥檚听life sciences sector, which听generates听around 拢147 billion in turnover and employs听some 360,000 people.听They have the potential to drive听long-term听transformative, life听innovations听for patients, and lead to听growth and听skilled听jobs in every corner of the听country.

ENDS

Supportive quotes听

Professor Matthias Zilbauer, University of Cambridge, said:

Over the past decade, we鈥檝e seen the enormous potential of patient-derived organoids and other New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to transform the way we develop new medicines.听听

Because these miniature human tissues retain many of the unique biological characteristics of the individual patient, they allow us to understand disease more accurately and test potential treatments before they ever reach the clinic. This has the potential to bring more effective,听personalised听treatments to patients while reducing the time and cost of developing new medicines and our reliance on animal听models.鈥澨�

Cynthia Bullock, Life Sciences听Programme听Director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)听said:

Through the combined expertise of Innovate UK and MRC, UKRI is accelerating the development and adoption of next generation human biology-based approaches that can improve drug discovery and development, helping bring more effective treatments to patients faster while reducing reliance on animal models.鈥澨�

Building on the UK鈥檚 world-class strengths in research and innovation, these investments are advancing scientific excellence, creating opportunity for global leadership, supporting innovative businesses, and strengthening collaboration across academia, industry and the NHS to deliver health and economic impact.鈥澨�

Catherine Vickers, Head of Innovation at NC3Rs, said:

We are delighted to听be partnering听with Innovate UK to deliver key commitments within the UK Alternatives Strategy, supporting the next generation of cardiovascular and pharmacokinetic assays and approaches. By accelerating the development,听commercialisation听and uptake of innovative human biology-based technologies, these projects will strengthen safety assessment in medicines development and replace the use of animals.

Notes to editors听

• The Hub听delivers part of Action 2a of the Life听Sciences听Sector Plan within the UK鈥檚 Modern Industrial听Strategy, and听supports both the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy and the AI for Science Strategy.听

• Scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2025 - 扒哥吃瓜听

• The Government will publish a delivery update of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy later in 2026, alongside a set of key performance indicators.听

• With co-leads听at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the听Wellcome听Sanger Institute, the Hub will draw on a Cambridge research community of around 60 principal investigators. It will be based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus 鈥� easily accessible from the new Cambridge South Station - minutes from NHS and industry partners, including AstraZeneca and GSK.听

• The Innovate UK funding forms phase 1 of a two-phase Contracts for Innovation competition, designed to deliver validated non-animal pharmacokinetic (PK) and cardiovascular safety assays. Phase 2 will support the most promising projects towards real-world听application.听

Full list of听awarded projects:听

• Biofoundry听Energy Ltd 鈥� platform targeting a more than 50% reduction in dedicated cardiovascular safety studies using dogs and non-human primates.听

• BiomimX听Srl听鈥� developing a miniature model of living human heart tissue to show how new medicines affect heartbeat and pumping, improving safety testing and reducing animal use.听

• CamGene听Therapeutics Ltd 鈥� developing ear models designed to accelerate the advancement of therapies to improve hearing loss whilst reducing reliance on animal studies.听

• CN Bio Innovations Ltd 鈥� developing human-relevant models and simulations to predict how drugs behave in people, reducing animal testing, lowering costs, and improving confidence in safer, more effective medicines.听

• Ioteach听Ltd 鈥� developing听PKBridge, an AI platform that predicts how medicines move through the human body from laboratory data alone, replacing animal pharmacokinetic studies in drug development.听

• InoCardia听Ltd 鈥� a feasibility study to test the viability of replacing dog and monkey cardiovascular drug safety studies with a regulator-approved non-animal alternative.听

• Nanograb听Ltd 鈥� an AI platform predicting lipid nanoparticle pharmacokinetics and biodistribution from formulation data, enabling safer, faster development while reducing reliance on dedicated non-human primate studies.听

• University of Nottingham 鈥� developing a statistical tool to assess laboratory data and simulation-based predictions of pharmaceutical safety tests, building evidence for reduction and retirement of animal-based tests.听

• VivoSphere听UK Ltd 鈥� a feasibility study using lab-grown human heart-like tissues to better predict drug side effects, ensuring reliable results, reducing animal testing, and improving patient safety.听

• The听Replacing Animals in Science Strategy听was published on 11 November 2025, supported by 拢75听million听of funding.听

• In 2023/24 the UK鈥檚 life sciences sector was estimated to employ around 360,000 people and generate 拢147 billion in turnover.听

• In听March 2026听the MHRA became the first UK regulator to commit to offering early review of non-animal data, allowing companies to confirm acceptability before clinical trials.