Ten organizations in Great Britain with the highest number of animal procedures conducted for medical, veterinary, and scientific research have announced their annual statistics. The University of Cambridge's figures are available on its website, aligning with the Home Office's report on scientific procedures involving living animals in Great Britain for 2025.
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In total, these 10 organizations performed 1,347,667 animal procedures, with over 99% involving mice, fish, rats, and birds. Additionally, 82% were classified as causing pain equivalent to, or less than, an injection. This marks the eleventh consecutive year that these institutions have shared their collective data and research examples.
The organizations and their respective numbers of procedures for 2025 are as follows:
- The Francis Crick Institute: 216,508
- University of Cambridge: 182,562
- University of Oxford: 176,689
- UCL: 167,637
- Medical Research Council: 150,817
- University of Edinburgh: 131,103
- King's College London: 106,452
- University of Glasgow: 96,038
- University of Manchester: 78,948
- Imperial College London: 40,913
Total: 1,347,667
Overall, 69 organizations proactively published their statistics for animal research in 2025. All these organizations adhere to the ethical framework known as the '3Rs'—replacement, reduction, and refinement—aimed at minimizing animal use and enhancing their welfare. However, as research institutions grow and conduct more studies, the total number of animals used may increase despite fewer animals being used per individual study.
All listed organizations are signatories to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK, which encourages transparency regarding the use of animals in research. To date, over 130 organizations, including UK universities, medical research charities, and commercial research entities, have signed this Concordat.
Hannah Hobson, Head of Communications and Engagement at Understanding Animal Research, emphasized the importance of animal research in developing new medicines and treatments. She noted that while alternative methods are being adopted, maintaining public trust is crucial. By sharing detailed information about animal usage and the outcomes of such research, these institutions allow the public to form opinions about animal use in scientific studies.
Professor Jon Simons, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at Cambridge, acknowledged the role of animal research in advancing scientific discovery but stressed the importance of finding alternative models to complement or replace animal studies.
As part of their research, a case study highlighted a new approach to combating malaria, which kills approximately 600,000 people annually. Dr. Andrew Blagborough's team at the University of Cambridge is exploring ways to prevent the transmission of malaria parasites from infected humans to mosquitoes. The goal is to break the transmission cycle, significantly reducing malaria prevalence by treating enough people with vaccines or treatments.
Blagborough stated that using mice is essential for studying this transmission process, as it is biologically complex and can only be effectively investigated using animal models. His work aims to support the development of anti-malarial vaccines and treatments.