Why researchers still cling to animal experimentation – and how to change it
Even as sophisticated, human-based research methods – known as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) – transform toxicology and regulatory science, the use of animals in academic research remains unchanged. A new analysis by Dr. Pandora Pound, Research Director of ECEAE member organization Safer Medicines, published in the NAM Journal, offers a compelling explanation: the persistence of animal experimentation is not due to technical limitations, but to deep-rooted social structures, incentives, and power relations within academia itself.
Pound draws on the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu to understand why animal experimentation endures even when better, non-animal methods are available. According to Bourdieu, science operates as a social field with its own rules, hierarchies, and values — a world in which success depends on the accumulation of different forms of “capital”:
- Symbolic capital – prestige, reputation, and recognition through publications.
- Social capital – networks, collaborations, and belonging to influential groups.
- Economic capital – research grants, equipment, and institutional support.
Animal-based research, Pound argues, continues to deliver all three forms of capital reliably. Animal studies are widely accepted by journals, secure funding, and open doors to established networks. In contrast, scientists who adopt NAMs often face skepticism, funding challenges, and career risks.
Peer review and publication pressure
Researchers working exclusively with human-relevant, non-animal methods often face demands from reviewers to “validate” their results with additional animal data — even when the animal models add no scientific value. Fearing rejection, many scientists perform unnecessary animal experiments purely to satisfy these expectations. This practice perpetuates the cycle and reinforces the belief that animal experiments remain the “gold standard.” As long as funding and publication systems reward animal use, few researchers will dare to challenge the status quo.
NAMs are ready – the system is not
Modern, human-relevant models such as organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, and AI-driven simulations are already transforming regulatory testing. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have recognized and begun integrating NAMs into official testing frameworks, and the European Commission will publish a roadmap for animal-free safety testing early next year.
NAMs are advancing fastest where safety standards are highest – in regulatory science. Yet academic research, which prides itself on innovation, continues to lag behind.
Starting change: from structures to culture
Pound argues that meaningful change requires more than technical validation – it demands a shift in incentives and culture.
She outlines several key measures:
- Reform academic reward systems: Evaluate research for its human relevance and societal benefit, not just publication metrics.
- Preferential funding of NAMs: Redirect funding towards human-based approaches.
- Support the transition: Provide training and financial assistance for researchers adopting NAMs.
- Enforce existing laws: Strictly apply legal requirements that mandate the use of non-animal methods whenever they are available.
Institutions, funders, and policymakers must take responsibility and lead the transition toward a modern, human-relevant research system.
A social transformation of science
Pound’s central insight reframes the problem entirely: displacing animal experiments is not a matter of innovation, but of transforming the cultural and structural barriers that keep animal testing entrenched in academia.
Change, she argues, will come when academic reward systems begin to value socially relevant, human-focused research and redistribute power away from the animal-research establishment. Until then, animal experimentation will persist — not because it is scientifically justified, but because it is maintained by long-standing academic norms and power structures.