Animal testing is used by a wide range of industries, government agencies, and research institutions. The pharmaceutical industry is the largest single user, but chemical manufacturers, cosmetics companies, agricultural businesses, academic labs, and military organizations all rely on animal models for safety testing, product development, or basic research. Organizations outside of government and academia account for over 75% of laboratory animals used annually, highlighting how deeply embedded the practice is in the private sector.
Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies
Drug development is the most prominent use of animal testing. Before a new medication can be tested in humans, its safety profile is typically established through animal studies. The FDA has historically required animal data as part of new drug applications, and while recent policy changes are beginning to shift this requirement, the vast majority of drugs still go through animal testing on their way to approval.
The biotechnology industry alone purchases an estimated 11% of all laboratory rodents sold in the United States, along with about 5% of swine and 2% of rabbits and dogs. These animals are used to study how drugs behave in living systems, identify toxic doses, and predict how a compound will be absorbed and metabolized by the human body. For drugs intended to treat diseases that can’t be ethically studied in human trials (such as treatments for exposure to chemical or biological weapons), the FDA can grant approval based entirely on well-controlled animal studies, provided the drug’s safety is still demonstrated in people.
Chemical Manufacturers
Companies that produce or import industrial chemicals are major users of animal testing, often because regulations require it. In the European Union, the REACH regulation governs the safety assessment of chemicals manufactured or imported in volumes above certain thresholds. For substances registered at above 100 tonnes, companies must submit detailed testing proposals to the European Chemicals Agency, and those plans frequently involve animal studies.
Animal tests remain essential for evaluating long-term effects that cell-based or computer models can’t yet reliably predict. These include organ damage from repeated exposure, immune system disruption, development of allergies or asthma, and reproductive problems or birth defects. If preliminary non-animal tests (using cells or bacteria) suggest a substance could alter genetic material, regulators typically require follow-up studies in animals to determine whether the effect poses a real health risk.
Cosmetics and Personal Care Companies
The cosmetics industry has seen the most dramatic shift away from animal testing, but the practice hasn’t disappeared. The European Union banned animal testing for finished cosmetic products in 2004 and for cosmetic ingredients in 2009. By 2013, it became illegal to sell any cosmetics tested on animals within the EU, regardless of where they were produced. That said, these bans aren’t absolute. Where no alternative testing method exists, animal testing may still be required under the EU’s chemical safety regulations.
China historically required animal testing for all imported cosmetics, which forced international brands to choose between the Chinese market and a cruelty-free label. In 2021, China relaxed these rules for “regular cosmetics” like general skincare and haircare, allowing cruelty-free brands to enter the market. However, “special cosmetics,” including sunscreen, skin-whitening products, hair dye, and children’s products, still require animal testing.
The United States has no federal ban on cosmetic animal testing. The Animal Welfare Act, enacted in 1966, remains the only federal law regulating the treatment of animals in testing and research, and it doesn’t prohibit the practice for any specific product category.
Government-Funded Research Institutions
The federal government is one of the largest users of research animals, with the National Institutes of Health at the center. NIH uses more animals than any other federal department or agency and funds extensive animal research both domestically and internationally. Between 2011 and 2021, NIH provided approximately $2.2 billion in contracts and grants to foreign organizations for research projects involving animals. Of that total, about $1.9 billion went to contract-based projects concentrated in 10 countries, with roughly 90% of that funding going to the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Another $318 million supported grant-funded animal research across 44 countries, with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom receiving about two-thirds of that funding.
University laboratories receiving NIH grants conduct a significant share of basic biomedical research using animal models. This includes studies on disease mechanisms, genetics, neuroscience, and the development of surgical techniques, much of it not tied to a specific product but aimed at building foundational knowledge.
Veterinary and Agricultural Companies
Animal testing isn’t limited to human medicine. Companies developing drugs for livestock and pets must also prove their products are safe and effective, which means testing on the animals the drugs are designed for. A drug intended to treat bovine respiratory disease in cattle, for example, goes through laboratory studies, target animal safety testing in healthy cattle, and field studies in animals that actually have the disease.
Target animal safety studies are designed to identify harmful side effects and establish a margin of safety. If a drug might be used in pregnant animals or in breeds known to be sensitive to certain compounds, regulators can require additional specialized studies. Vaccines for poultry, deworming treatments for horses, and flea medications for dogs all follow a similar path through animal testing before reaching the market.
Military and Defense Organizations
Military medical programs use live animals for trauma training and combat medicine research. Military personnel train on animal models to practice managing injuries like penetrating cardiac wounds, severe hemorrhage, and blast injuries in conditions that simulate the chaos of a battlefield. Proponents argue this realistic training has saved the lives of soldiers by preparing medics and surgeons for situations that can’t be replicated with mannequins or simulations alone, though studies have found that in some cases, such as penetrating cardiac injury management, non-living tissue models can be equally effective.
Which Animals Are Used Most
Mice and rats make up approximately 95% of all laboratory animals. In the European Union’s 2011 reporting data, mice constituted 61% of the 11.5 million animals used in research (about 6.9 million), while rats accounted for just under 14% (about 1.6 million). The remaining fraction includes fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, pigs, and non-human primates. Primates represent a tiny percentage of total animals used but attract the most public scrutiny due to their cognitive and social complexity.
How the Landscape Is Changing
The FDA recently announced plans to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies and certain other drugs, marking a significant policy shift. Under the new approach, companies that submit strong safety data from non-animal methods may receive streamlined review as certain animal studies are eliminated. The agency is also beginning to accept pre-existing safety data from countries with comparable regulatory standards where a drug has already been studied in humans. These changes are being implemented immediately for new drug applications, with non-animal testing data now encouraged at the earliest stages of the process.
This follows the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which removed the longstanding federal mandate that drugs must be tested on animals before human trials. The law doesn’t ban animal testing. It simply allows drug developers to use validated alternatives when they exist. For many types of safety questions, particularly long-term toxicity and reproductive effects, animal models remain the only accepted approach. The shift is gradual, and for most products across most industries, animal testing continues to be standard practice.