USA usher in a new era in medical research

: Press release; Published: 05 May 2025

Germany remains unambitious

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have launched a groundbreaking initiative aimed at strengthening support for human-relevant research methods while simultaneously reducing the use of animals in research and testing (1). This step aligns with the recently published roadmap by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which outlines measures to minimize animal use in drug development (2). The German organization Doctors Against Animal Experiments welcomes this development and expresses concern that Germany lacks the political will to keep pace with international progress.

The NIH, one of the world’s most prominent biomedical research institutions, is shifting their funding strategy: in future, innovative, human-focused approaches such as organoids, multi-organ chips, and computer-based models will be given priority. At the same time, the number of animal tests will be reduced. The aim is to make research more efficient and more ethical. To coordinate the implementation of this new strategy, a dedicated office for research innovation, validation, and application will be established.

“This human-based approach will accelerate innovation, improve healthcare outcomes, and deliver life-changing treatments,” says NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya about the initiative, which he expects to usher in “a new era of innovation” (1). The U.S. FDA is also pursuing this paradigm shift consistently: animal testing in the development of therapeutic antibodies and other drugs is to be replaced by more precise and human-relevant methods (2).

While in the U.S., research and regulatory bodies are jointly working toward the reduction of animal testing, Germany is at a standstill. A national reduction strategy announced by the outgoing federal government was scheduled for publication on April 24. However, the release appears to have been canceled at short notice and without official explanation (3). At the same time, parts of the scientific community are resisting change and trying to maintain the status quo of animal testing (4).

“In the U.S., we are seeing a clear political and scientific commitment to animal-free research. Germany, on the other hand, is squandering its opportunities—through a lack of transparency, implementation, and political will,” criticizes Dr. Johanna Walter, scientific advisor at Doctors Against Animal Experiments.

Another telling example is the Animal Welfare Research Award of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The award was intended to distribute a total of up to €220,000 across three categories. However, on April 22, only two prizes were awarded to international researchers. The award for early-career national scientists, which is endowed up to €100,000, was not awarded. According to State Secretary Dr. Ophelia Nick, no suitable candidate could be found (5).

Apparently, the call for nominations was not structured in a way that enough nominations were received in the first place (6). “Back in October 2024, the Bf3R Commission recommended improving communication regarding the award’s objectives and the nomination process (7). Yet these recommendations were clearly not implemented—or not sufficiently,” criticizes Walter. “The fact that a significant portion of the prize money now remains unused is particularly regrettable in light of the chronic underfunding of human-relevant research.” Doctors Against Animal Experiments knows first-hand that there are many excellent scientists in Germany developing animal-free methods. The organization itself awards the €20,000 Herbert Stiller Prize for animal-free research projects every two years and has to choose from a large number of outstanding applications (8).

Doctors Against Animal Experiments sees Germany increasingly isolated on the international stage due to its hesitant stance. The U.S. is taking concrete steps towards animal-free research, with not only the FDA and NIH but also the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planning to reduce animal testing (9). The EU is developing a roadmap to phase out animal testing in chemical safety testing (10). Australia also has advanced strategies to transition toward animal-free innovation (11). Whether Germany can afford to ignore these developments is questionable. Those who cling to outdated methods risk that innovations and competitive advantages will come from other countries in the future—to the detriment of German science and industry.

If Germany wants to keep up internationally and play a leading role in the development of sustainable technologies, a clear political change is needed: more funding for animal-free methods, a binding phase-out strategy, and transparent tendering processes.

USA usher in a new era in medical research

Germany remains unambitious

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