topic Research

Replacement of animal experiments

The BMBF priority "Methods to replace animal experiments" is unique worldwide and is financially the most comprehensive funding effort and the longest in terms of time in this field. Over a period of 20 years, a total of about €70 million has so far been made available for more than 230 projects. These efforts have considerably reduced the number of test animals worldwide for research. The BMBF will continue to fund projects for replacing animal experiments in future.

Everyone working with animals is obliged under the German Animal Welfare Act to protect the life and promote the well-being of these animals. He/she must not, without a proper reason, cause pain, suffering or damage to the animals. Only if this principle is adhered to is the use of test animals ethically justifiable. In particular, the number of animal tests and the pain and distress caused must be reduced to the absolute minimum. At the political level, further harmonization of international regulations, mutual recognition of regulations governing tests and other efforts can help to make hundreds of thousands of animal experiments superfluous. Reliable and efficient methods for replacing and supplementing animal tests, as well as clear legal provisions concerning the monitoring and licensing of animal tests, are the decisive prerequisite for further reducing the use of test animals.

In Germany, considerable efforts have been undertaken to this effect for many years. The Federal Government, the Länder, private foundations and initiatives support the development of non-animal techniques within the framework of various programmes.

Since 1980, the BMBF has been supporting research projects aimed at developing non-animal methods and/or at avoiding animal testing. The BMBF's priority "Methods to replace animal experiments" is unique worldwide and is financially the most comprehensive and the longest running funding effort in this field. Over a period of 20 years, a total of approximately €7 million has so far been made available for more than 230 projects.

In the past years, it has been possible to translate numerous project results into practical application through collaboration between public research institutions, industry and the licensing authorities. During the last 10 years, this has contributed to reducing the number of test animals required annually by about one million. In the foreseeable future it will not be possible, however, to completely replace all animal tests. Every effort must therefore be made to investigate, verify and apply to the broadest possible extent test and investigation methods on systems which are not capable of suffering and techniques that cause less pain and discomfort to animals in order to replace the animal experiments used so far. The BMBF will continue to fund such activities under its biotechnology programme.