New NAMS economics report launched at Parliamentary event

Lush Prize was pleased to participate in a Parliamentary event on 17th June at parliament’s Portcullis House, London, to mark the publication of a new report on the financial advantages to the UK economy of a transition away from animal testing towards non-animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

The report, Non-Animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs): More effective, more ethical and more economically productive, was written by the Common Sense Policy Group at Northumbria University and commissioned by Lush. It provides a compelling overview of the extensive business opportunities – alongside the well-known scientific and ethical benefits – which are presented by the phase out of animal testing to instead invest in the scientific innovation and exciting UK market growth offered by the NAMs sector, as also outlined in the government’s roadmap strategy Replacing animals in Science, published in November 2025.

The report recommends several headline actions, including:
i) An increase in public funding for NAMs companies, research bodies and higher education research groups, also ensuring this funding is distributed across the country to drive region-wide investment in NAMs
ii) Establish a legally binding date for a ban on all animal testing
iii) Specifically support skills development in partnership with NAMs companies and research groups receiving public funding
iv) Accelerate regulatory modernisation through the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM)
v) Create a regularly updated database of NAMs companies to facilitate analysis and ongoing review

The report launch follows the 11th Lush Prize Awards held recently, which saw sixteen successful projects across ten countries receive awards or commendations for scientific research (including early career researchers), training and education, political advocacy and public awareness, all working towards the replacement of animal tests with advanced and more scientifically relevant, animal-free approaches. The Lush Prize was launched in 2012 to address an urgent need to fund and support such initiatives to promote better science and end animal suffering.

The Parliamentary event was very well attended by a number of supportive MPs who received copies of the new report to review and discuss its findings with the team and industry experts, as well as next steps for engagement, to ensure that the government strategy wording translates into meaningful actions.

Read the business case report here. The report has also been published in the NAM Journal.

 

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26 June 2026