Animal use has decreased in all regulatory testing areas except for industrial chemicals, Commission data show
Photo credits: Nikolett Emmert / Unsplash
The use of animals in research declined by 4.7% between 2022 and 2023, to 8.1 million procedures in the EU and Norway, according to European Commission data. This decline was driven mainly by reduced uses for routine production of antibodies and basic research. Uses for regulatory purposes also recorded a drop, but not in all sectors.
In 2023, 36.7% of procedures were carried out for translational and applied research, particularly on animal nutrition, welfare, disorders and diseases, while 34.4% were for basic research activities, most of which focused on the nervous and immune systems and oncology. Thirteen per cent of procedures helped meet market regulations, 5.3% were dedicated to the routine production of antibodies, and 10.6% fed into other categories ranging from species preservation to forensic enquiries.
The regulatory uses of animals cover procedures to comply with the requirements set by…
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