12/11/2025
The announcement today that animal testing will be phased out when alternative methods become available is fully supported by the British Association of Psychopharmacology whose members are keen to develop and use non-animal alternatives where they can. This announcement adheres to UK law that states that animals cannot be used in scientific research if the question can be answered by alternative methods. However, currently there are no alternative methods for medical research into brain disorders and psychopharmacology that can provide reliable insight into the effect of novel treatments on cognition, memory and emotion. As a result, we simply are not at a stage where we can develop better treatments for complex mental illnesses without using animals and nor will we reach this stage by 2035, as some groups are proposing.
BAP President, Catherine Harmer says: "BAP stands ready to work with other scientific societies and policymakers to address this urgent challenge. Mental health disorders are a major and growing cause of disability across the globe. Progress toward better understanding and treatment depends on continued, responsible research using a variety of different approaches and methods."
https://www.bap.org.uk/newsitem.php?newsID=218
