Advisory reports: Animal research in relation to COVID-19

The search for vaccines and medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic took place under significant time pressure. This may have influenced the use of laboratory animals and/or animal-free innovations.

At the time, the focus was primarily on the animal and non-animal models that had already been used. In addition to the urgency of the moment, this was likely also related to dependance on proven methods. However, new projects were launched aimed at the development, optimisation and application of animal-free methods.

In April 2020, we took the initiative to send an advisory letter to the then Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, with proposals to promote animal-free research methods in the COVID-19 scientific research policy that was under development.

In response to this advisory letter, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality asked us to advise her on the effects of COVID-19 on the transition to animal-free innovations.

The Minister requested us to address the following questions:

1. Which animal models have been used around the world in the context of COVID-19 research? What impact has COVID-19 research had on the use of laboratory animals worldwide?
2. Which alternative (animal-free) methods have been used around the world in the context of COVID-19 research? What has been the effect?
3. Which changes have occurred in the prescribed procedures for vaccine and/or medicine development or in the international adoption of these procedures?
4. In response to questions 1, 2 and 3: Which lessons or recommendations can be drawn for the future of the transition to animal-free innovations?

In March 2021, we published an interim report entitled ‘Learning from COVID-19’ with our initial findings. The report primarily outlines the COVID-19 research landscape from a descriptive perspective. This interim report focused on the aspects of research in which laboratory animals and/or animal-free methods played a key role. The advisory report entitled ‘COVID-19: the use of laboratory animals and non-animal methods in the dynamics of a pandemic’ explicitly addresses the four questions as posed to us by the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.