Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Definition

Animal testing or in-vivo testing is the use of living animals in scientific experiments to assess the safety and effectiveness of new products developed in the biopharma, medical devices, chemicals, food and other industries. Animal testing allows scientists to understand how the human body might react to specific substances. The study on animals is a vital part of the research because the basic cell process and physiology of animals is similar to that of humans.  

Non-animal alternative testing technologies include those technologies such as in-vitro cell and tissue cultures, organs-on-chips (OOCs), computer simulations, 3D bioprinting of tissues and synthetic skin substitutes.  These technologies replace animal testing in end-use industries including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals and pesticides, food and others.

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Size

Animal Testing

The global animal testing market was valued at $10.74 billion in 2019 and the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.03% during 2023-2028 and at a CAGR of 2.64% during 2028-2035. USA and Japan are the major animal testing markets in the world. The USA’s animal testing market was valued at $4.67 billion in 2019, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 0.42% during 2023-2028 and at a CAGR of 0.81% during 2028-2035. Japan’s animal testing market was valued at $1.03 billion in 2019. The market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 0.99% during 2023-2028, and at a CAGR of 1.66% during 2028-2035.

The growth of the animal testing market in the USA and Japan is mainly due to the rise in R&D activities in end-use industries, and regulations to conduct animal experiments before testing on humans. However, the slow anticipated future growth rates (from 2021 to 2035) can be attributed to the requirement from federal agencies on biopharma companies to adopt 3R principles (i.e. to replace, reduce, and refine animals used in the laboratory research), protests from animal welfare organizations. In 2021, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to rule out mammal testing for chemicals by 2035, and increasing preference by end-use industries towards the adoption of non-animal testing technologies.

Non-Animal Alternative Testing

The global non-animal alternative testing market was valued at $1.11 billion in 2019. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.34% during 2023-2028. The USA’s non-animal alternative testing technology market was valued at $0.34 billion in 2019. The USA’s market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.39% through during 2023-2028. Japan's non-animal alternative testing technology market was valued at $0.06 billion in 2019 and the market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.14% through 2023-2028.

The growth in the non-animal alternative testing market is mainly due to the adoption of the 3R principles by both regulatory agencies, and end-use companies, especially in the cosmetic industry. The adoption of alternative technologies is expected to grow after 2026 post regulatory agencies’ validation and approval.

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Drivers

The key drivers of the animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market include:

Increasing Investment In R&D By The Pharmaceutical Companies (Animal Testing)

The rise in investment in R&D (research and development) by the pharma companies leads to the growth of the animal testing market. The rate of investment has been increasing over the years and pharmaceutical companies are the top investors in R&D. The key factor for research-based pharmaceutical companies investing more in R&D is the discovery and development of new drugs serving unmet medical needs. For FY20-21, the average R&D expenses of pharma companies in India were 7.2% of total revenues, with Lupin, Alembic Pharma and Dr. Reddy's spending more than others. The top 20 global pharmaceutical companies collectively spent $139 billion on R&D in 2022.  Roche, a Swiss healthcare company, spent 14.05 billion Swiss francs ($15.15 billion) on R&D in 2022. For example, the global pharmaceutical companies collectively spent $139 billion on research and development in 2022.  Also in 2019, globally pharmaceutical companies spent an average of roughly 25% of their revenue on R&D, according to federal government statistics.  Therefore, the increasing investment in animal models will be widely employed in pharmaceutical research. This is expected to drive the animal testing market.

Increasing Adoption Of In-Vitro and In-Silico Technologies In Basic Research By Pharmaceutical Industry (Non-Animal testing)

The significant advancement of in-vitro and in-silico testing methods that led to the adoption of alternatives to animal testing by pharmaceutical companies for basic research studies contributed to the growth of the non-animal testing market. New in-vitro technologies such as organ-on-chip (OOC) and in-silico technology such as computer-aided modeling technologies are trying to replace whole-animal testing in the drug development life cycle.  For instance, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), researchers have created “organs-on-chips” that contain human cells grown in a state-of-the-art system to mimic the structure and function of human organs and organ systems. The chips can be used instead of animals in disease research, drug testing and toxicity testing and have been shown to replicate human physiology, diseases and drug responses more accurately than crude animal experiments do. Some companies, such as AlveoliX, MIMETAS and Emulate, Inc., have already turned these chips into products that other researchers can use in place of animals.  Further in October 2023, Piramal Pharma Solutions, a leading US-based multi-product facility that has been manufacturing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other bioconjugates, launched in-vitro biology capabilities at its Ahmedabad Discovery Services Site, based in India. The expansion couples new biology services with existing chemistry capabilities, bringing added value to customers by providing an integrated set of discovery capabilities. The expansion includes a world-class high-throughput screening facility that augments the existing in-vitro screening technology. The new high-throughput screening format enables Piramal Pharma Solutions to evaluate and screen large collections using various platforms, including TR-FRET, absorbance, Luminescence/Electrochemiluminescence, AlphaScreen, LanthaScreen, flow cytometry and high-content imaging.

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Restraints

The key restraints on the animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market include:

High Cost Of Animal Studies (Animal Testing)

The high cost associated with animal testing is challenging the growth of this market. The total cost of animal use in research studies is the sum of the cost of acquisition of the animals and that of maintaining the animals prior to and during their use. The maintenance cost and the actual cost for a particular species vary with the sex, strain, weight, age, quantity ordered, method of shipping and distance shipped.  According to an animal supply company, New Zealand White Rabbits cost as high as $352 each, purebred Beagles for $1,049 and some primates costing more than $8,000 each.  Additionally, there is human labor cost, as the animals need an attendant. Therefore, the high cost of animal studies is hindering the animal testing market and, in a way, boosting the adoption of alternative testing methods.

Long Duration For Validation Of Non-Animal Testing Technologies (Non-Animal Testing)

The process of validation of the new alternative technology is taking time, which will reduce the acceptance of new technologies by the end-use industries. The current agencies that are responsible for validation take a long time to approve new alternative technologies. For instance, skin corrosivity is one of the simplest adverse events in the in-vitro tests. This test has taken around 20 years to get acceptance from the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) addressing the endpoint. Hence, a long period of validation of these novel technologies will result in the tests becoming outdated before they are validated and hinders the alternative technologies market.

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Trends

Major trends shaping the animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market include:

AI To Accelerate Drug Discovery Technologies With Ethical Alternatives

Major non-animal testing technologies companies are focusing on AI (artificial intelligence) to accelerate drug discovery technologies with ethical alternatives to expand their businesses. AI plays a crucial role in enhancing the capabilities of both animal testing and non-animal alternative testing methods, ultimately advancing biomedical research while reducing the ethical concerns and limitations associated with animal experimentation. For example, in June 2023, Quantiphi, a US-based AI-driven digital engineering company, launched Digital Animal Replacement Technology (DART), which is a solution that offers a humane and accurate alternative to traditional animal testing for drug discovery, manufacturing and pre-clinical trials. DART combines human biology with advanced digital technologies to predict drug safety and efficacy accurately, eliminating the need for animal testing in many scenarios. The technology uses ethically sourced human stem cells, a Digital Workstation and AI to accelerate drug discovery while ensuring safety and efficacy. DART's launch represents a significant step towards more ethical, efficient and effective alternatives to animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry.

Adoption Of In Silico Trials To Test Efficacy Of Drugs

The use of in silico trials for testing is another trend in the non-animal alternatives testing market. In silico means “performed on computer or via computer simulation”, in modern science it refers to experimental techniques performed by computers. The in-silico trials use artificial intelligence (AI)-based simulation technology to mimic human physiology that pharmaceutical companies can use as a proxy for patients. Researchers and clinicians feed drug data into the simulated model to predict the drug’s exposure in patients and test the safety and efficacy of a drug without any consequences on humans and animals.  For example, in March 2023, Certara Inc., a US-based leader in bio simulation launched Simcyp Simulator Version 22, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) platform for determining first-in-human dosing, optimizing clinical study design, evaluating new drug formulations and predicting drug-drug interactions (DDIs).  Certara Inc’s Simcyp Animal is a whole-body PBPK modeling platform for rats, dogs, monkeys and mice. It is based on the Simcyp Human Simulator with simplified interfaces and well-validated models.

Opportunities And Recommendations In The Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market

Opportunities – To take advantage of the opportunities, The Business Research Company recommends the animal testing and non-animal alternative testing companies to focus on using AI to accelerate drug discovery technologies with ethical alternatives, adoption of in silico trials to test efficacy of drugs, use of model organisms in testing, developments in OOC (organ-on-chip) for testing, focus on 3d-printed organs for testing, increasing collaborations and partnerships to reduce animal testing and rising initiatives and grants to promote animal-free testing.

Recommendations- To take advantage of the opportunities, The Business Research Company recommends the animal testing and non-animal alternative testing companies to focus on AI-driven drug discovery solutions, focus on in silico trials for drug testing, focus on organ-on-chip tools for advanced testing, focus on 3D-printed organ technologies for enhanced testing, expand in emerging markets, continue to focus on developed markets, provide competitively priced offerings, participate in trade shows and events, continue to use B2B promotions and focus on people-centric strategies to target end-users.

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Segmentation

• a) Basic Research
• b) Applied Research
• c) Regulatory testing
• d) Development of New Diagnostic Methods
• e) Breeding of Genetically Altered Animals
• f) Animal Cloning


By End-User Applications –
The animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market is segmented by end-user applications into:
• a) Cosmetics Industry
• b) Pharmaceutical Industry
• c) Medical Device Industry
• d) Others


By Animal Type –
The animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market is segmented by animal type into:
• a) Mice
• b) Rats
• c) Frogs
• d) Fish
• e) Birds
• f) Guinea pigs
• g) Hamsters
• h) Rabbits
• i) Sheep
• j) Dogs
• k) Cats
• l) Monkeys
• m) Pigs
• n) Others


By Geography - The animal testing and non-animal alternative testing market is segmented by geography into:
o Asia Pacific
• • China
• • Japan
• • Australia
o North America
• • USA
• Canada
o Western Europe
• • France
• • Germany
• • UK

Animal Testing And Non-Animal Alternative Testing Market Competitive Landscape

Major Competitors are:

• BioIVT
• MatTek Corporation
• Gentronix Limited
• Promega Corporation
• InSphero
• Charles River Laboratories
• Cyprotex
• EMD Millipore
• Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Organ Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Certest Biotec
• XCellR8