Animal experimentation

In the UK, all new medicines are tested on animals before they are tried in humans.

Picture of a white rat in a laboratory

Introduction

Medicines tested in animals can help millions of people.

Picture of a syringe

What is animal experimentation?

Animal experiments are used to test new treatments for diseases, e.g. new medicines or new surgical techniques.

Picture of a patient giving themselves an injection

Why do scientific research in animals?

Animals provide living bodies which help scientists understand how diseases and treatments work.

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Is it right to do animal research?

The key ethical question is whether an animal life is worth less than a human life.




What do people think?

Professor of Immunology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

What do people think?

Warden of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

What do people think?

Year 10 pupil at Mulberry School, Tower Hamlets, London.

What do people think?

A spokesperson from FRAME, Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments.