On July 19, 2024, the European Commission released the most recent statistics on the use of animals in research and testing in the EU and Norway for the years 2021 and 2022.
These statistics play a vital role in the RSPCA’s ‘Focus on Severe Suffering’ initiative, providing crucial insights that can help target strategies to more effectively reduce severe suffering in animal research.
Overview
In 2021, there was a significant increase of 1.2 million in the total number of animal procedures. This rise was primarily attributed to three projects involving salmon and sea bass, which together accounted for 1.3 million animals. As a result, severe procedures also increased significantly that year.
In 2022, overall animal use decreased by approximately 1 million. There was also a reduction in severe procedures.
Despite these fluctuations in the total number of procedures, the proportion of ‘severe’ procedures has continued a downward trend since 2018, dropping from 10.9% to 9.2% in 2022.
Main categories of ‘severe’ use
Over the last three years, basic research and translational research accounts almost equally for the highest proportions of ‘severe’ animal use. However, ‘severe’ regulatory use has decreased dramatically from 31% of overall severe use in 2022, to 18% in 2022. This decrease is attributed to continuous reductions in procedures related to medicinal products for human use.
Species
Mice account for the highest number of animals experiencing severe suffering, followed by salmon, trout, sea bass and rats. Other species which experienced severe suffering, not shown on this graphic, include pigs, hamsters and sheep.
Sub-categories of ‘severe’ use: Basic research
In basic research, the greatest numbers of severe uses was reported for research on the nervous system, immune system, and oncology. Between 2021 and 2022, figures remained relatively stable across sub-categories of use.
Sub-categories of ‘severe’ use: Translational and applied research
Animal diseases and disorders account for the highest number of severe uses across 2021 and 2022. Other figures remained stable across sub-categories of use in these years, with human cancer and human infectious disorders also resulting in high numbers of ‘severe’ animal use.
Sub-categories of ‘severe’ use: Regulatory use
‘Severe’ use of animals for regulatory purposes reduced by 20% in 2021, and 29% in 2022. This may be explained by efforts by companies and regulators to reduce and replace animal uses related to medicinal products. Since 2018, uses for legislation on medicinal products for human use has decreased by 50.2%. Better identification of clinical signs and application of earlier humane endpoints may also have contributed to this reduction.
Sub-categories of ‘severe’ use: Routine production
The production of monoclonal antibodies by the mouse ascites method, which involves large, painful tumours, is responsible for the vast majority of severe uses in this category. 99.5% of all use occurs by one member state, France. There continues to be a lack of specific scientific, technical or other detail publicly available as to why use of this method continues to persist, despite all other Member States having transitioned to alternative approaches, and/or no longer permitting the use of the ascites method.
‘Severe’ use of animals for monoclonal antibody production by the ascites method increased by 34% from 2020 to 2021, and by 18% from 2021 to 2022. A total of 24,228 animals experienced severe suffering in 2022, accounting for 50% of all animals used in ascites
production.
These increases are reported as being generally associated with an increase in production of a test used in France for the clinical followup of patients with long COVID; and the production of control batches necessary to validate plans to transition to antibody production by non-animal methods.
Conclusions
While there have been fluctuations in the total number of animal procedures, and severe procedures, over the past two years, there is an evident overall trend towards decreasing severe suffering. The continued decline in the proportion of severe procedures since 2018 reflects ongoing efforts by the scientific community to minimise severe suffering, particularly in regulatory use. However, these statistics also identify some specific areas in which reducing and avoiding severe suffering has proven to be more difficult. These include research into animal diseases and disorders, ecotoxicology and studies on the nervous system. Addressing these
areas will be crucial for advancing the goals of the RSPCA’s ‘Focus on Severe Suffering’ initiative, and we will continue to work constructively with scientists, veterinarians, animal technologists,
regulators and animal ethics committees to help achieve further refinements, as part of our work to promote the fullest implementation of the 3Rs.
Read the full reports here.