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<p>Animal testing of chemical substances is permitted under UK REACH only as a measure
of last resort; this principle is reinforced by the Environment Act 2021. Moreover,
UK REACH states that test methods should be regularly reviewed with a view to reducing
animal testing and it encourages the use of alternative methods. Testing and assessment
of final products is not a part of UK REACH.</p><p> </p><p>The Veterinary Medicines
Directorate (VMD) is the UK regulatory authority for veterinary medicinal products.
The VMD assesses applications submitted by the veterinary pharmaceutical industry
in line with national and international regulations and guidance to ensure safe and
effective veterinary medicines of good quality are marketed. These requirements may
therefore necessitate animal testing either to develop and register new veterinary
medicines or for routine product quality control, to ensure the continued quality,
safety and efficacy batch to batch. Non-animal tests are not always available and
the VMD is committed to phasing out the use of animals for testing purposes where
possible, in accordance with the principles of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
Furthermore, the UK is a signatory to the European Pharmacopoeia (which sets minimum
quality standards of medicines) and the European Convention for the Protection of
Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes and this commitment
to the 3Rs is also enshrined in the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
under which scientific procedures in animals are regulated.</p><p> </p><p>The Minister
of State for Science, Research and Innovation (the hon. Member for Arundel and South
Downs, Andrew Griffith) recently announced that the Government will publish a plan
to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to
reduce reliance on the use of animals in science, which will be published in the summer.
He also requested that we double our investment in research to achieve these approaches
next year to £20 million across the system in 2024/25.</p>
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