National roadmap for non-animal methods

AI summary

Petitioners ask the federal government to adopt a roadmap with targets (50% by 2030; full replacement where feasible by 2035), fund a centre, make NAMs the default in funding and law, and mandate reporting. The government responds that Health Canada and ECCC published a CEPA strategy, are advancing NAMs, regulatory changes, investment and annual reporting.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Canada uses three to five million animals annually for research and testing, often exposing them to physical and psychological suffering; In 2023, over 1.1 million animals were subjected to Category D or E procedures (listed as causing “severe pain near, at, or above (…) animal's pain tolerance threshold”); Over 90% of drugs that pass animal tests fail in human trials, delaying access to treatments; New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), such as organ-on-chip, 3D-bioprinted tissue and AI are cost-effective and replicate human biology; In 2022, Canada committed to reduce animal testing for chemical safety, yet the 2025 strategy included no targets, timelines, or dedicated funding; and Canada lags far behind international peers, while the EU and U.S. invest heavily in NAMs, with laws and roadmaps to reduce animal use. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to 1. Develop a national roadmap for validating and implementing non-animal methods, setting targets to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing (50% by 2030, full replacement where feasible by 2035); 2. Allocate sustainable federal funding to a national center to lead the transition to animal-free research and testing; 3. Mandate public research institutions and granting councils to prioritize NAMs, with replacement as the default; 4. Amend federal laws and regulations to recognize NAMs as the standard, restricting animal use whenever alternatives exist; and 5. Establish mandatory public reporting on NAMs adoption rates, federal funding, and animal use in the public and private sectors. 1. Develop a national roadmap for validating and implementing non-animal methods, setting targets to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing (50% by 2030, full replacement where feasible by 2035); 2. Allocate sustainable federal funding to a national center to lead the transition to animal-free research and testing; 3. Mandate public research institutions and granting councils to prioritize NAMs, with replacement as the default; 4. Amend federal laws and regulations to recognize NAMs as the standard, restricting animal use whenever alternatives exist; and 5. Establish mandatory public reporting on NAMs adoption rates, federal funding, and animal use in the public and private sectors.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Reducing reliance on vertebrate animal testing and promoting methods that replace, reduce or refine the use of animal testing is a priority for the Government of Canada. In July 2025, Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada published a strategy under the modernized Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to promote the development and timely incorporation of alternative methods for testing and assessing substances to replace, reduce or refine the use of vertebrate animals. The strategy consists of five key elements: (1) identification and prioritization of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for regulatory needs, (2) advancing NAMs research and data generation, (3) promoting harmonization and collaboration, (4) communicating and consulting with stakeholders, and (5) implementing NAMs in CEPA regulatory programs. The development of the strategy considered comments received during the 60-day public comment periods on the notice of intent, which closed in January 2024, and on the draft strategy, which closed in November 2024. Each of the elements of the strategy are associated with key outcomes. Additional program-specific progress metrics will be established and refined during the implementation of this strategy to track advancements in the implementation of NAMs to replace, reduce, or refine vertebrate animal testing. Given the global nature of chemicals management and the importance of harmonization of regulatory regimes, specific timelines to realize the strategy elements are difficult to forecast, but updates on these timelines will continue to be provided through annual reports to Parliament. Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada will continue to advance work on each of these elements in an iterative and progressive manner to support the implementation of NAMs whenever possible (that is, to the extent practicable and scientifically justified), in line with global efforts towards achieving the meaningful replacement, reduction, or refinement of vertebrate animal testing. Other work underway relevant to the Food and Drugs Act (FDA;for cosmetics) and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA; for consumer products) includes completion of the Consumer Product Safety Program’s NAM framework, as well as ongoing development of related guidance documents to inform industry stakeholders, and guide Health Canada scientific evaluators on integrating NAMs into risk assessments. The Government of Canada is investing in these efforts, including through existing resources under the Chemicals Management Plan and for the implementation of the modernized CEPA. To help leverage the impact of current funding, Health Canada is collaborating with domestic and international partners and providing leadership and contributions to intergovernmental initiatives and multistakeholder organization initiatives (e.g., via the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD]) to develop and validate alternative methods. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) awards research funding though its suite of funding opportunities, whereby applications undergo a rigorous and independent peer review process. This ensures fair and effective evaluation and funding for the highest calibre research. As a condition to receive funding from CIHR, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), institutions receiving funding and whose researchers use animals in experimentation are required to maintain certification from the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). This is done through a rigorous process of assessment and certification, and the development of guidelines and policies for the ethical use and care of animals in science. When animal models are employed, it is only after careful consideration, with the utmost seriousness and oversight, and when no scientifically valid alternatives exist. All study protocols must adhere to the Three R principles — replacement, reduction, and refinement. Researchers must consider how to avoid or, at best, reduce the number of animals used to a minimum, and/or how to maximize the amount of information obtained per animal. Additionally, researchers must identify potential harms and ways to refine techniques to minimize these possible harms. Several regulatory, legislative and policy activities are planned, underway or have been recently completed to further these efforts. For example: In June 2023, the FDA was amended to ban cosmetic animal testing in Canada, which came into force in December 2023. Cosmetic testing on animals is banned in Canada, as well as the sale of cosmetics that rely on animal testing data to establish the product’s safety, with some exceptions. The revised Act also addresses false or misleading labelling pertaining to the testing of cosmetics on animals. In June 2023, several amendments across the CEPA were made which support this objective of reducing reliance on vertebrate animal toxicity testing, such as requiring the Plan of Priorities to detail related activities, requiring the use of scientifically justified alternatives in the generation of data and the conduct of investigations to the extent practicable, and clarifying the meaning of ‘methods and strategies to refine’ to include minimizing pain and suffering. Work is underway to amend the Toys Regulations under theCCPSA to incorporate greater flexibility to accommodate alternative approaches in data requirements. A Notice of Intent in spring 2023 signaled Health Canada’s commitment to reduce the animal testing requirements when validated alternative methods are available. Work is also underway to amend the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers)under CEPA to integrate greater flexibility to accommodate new approach methods (NAMs), which include alternative methods to animal toxicity testing. These efforts were signalled in the Notice of Intent on promoting reduced reliance on animal testing in the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers), published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on January 14, 2023. Consideration of validated non-animal methods has been included in the updated Guidance document: Pre-market submission process for supplemented foods under the Food and Drugs Act, which was published in February 2024. Efforts are underway to advance and expand the use of alternatives to animal testing in the regulation of pesticides in Canada, which is governed by the Pest Control Products Act. In July 2025, an Information Note was published describing these efforts as well as the role that toxicity studies in laboratory animals play in the regulation of pesticides and Health Canada’s vision on incorporating NAMs into the pesticide regulatory framework. Government of Canada scientists are also leading and collaborating with domestic and international partners on a range of scientific and research activities to develop, standardize and deploy testing methods that have reduced reliance on animals. For example, Health Canada is working with the international scientific and regulatory community to develop, validate and implement effective alternatives to animal testing. This includes providing continued leadership and contributions to the work of various committees and organizations, such as the OECD, the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods (ICATM) and the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR). The oversight of the use of animals for experimentation in biomedical research facilities falls within the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, with Ontario, for example, having specific legislation that governs these activities through the Animals for Research Act. Requirements related to the use or reporting of animals in research would fall to the provinces and territories to enact. CCAC-certified institutions are required to report their annual animal use data to the CCAC every year and provide specific information regarding the number of animals used, the types of projects they were involved in, and the invasiveness of the procedures undertaken. The Government of Canada remains committed to advancing efforts to replace, reduce or refine the use of vertebrate animals in toxicity testing, and will continue to promote collaborative research and partnerships across Canada and internationally.