The first six months of 2026 have marked an exciting period of progress for AFSA, with major achievements across public awareness, national policy, parliamentary advocacy, transparency and the promotion of human-relevant research. A standout moment was AFSA’s international recognition at the prestigious 2026 Lush Prize, where AFSA was named joint
The release of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026–2036 marks a significant moment for the future of health and medical research. For Animal-Free Science Advocacy (AFSA), it is incredibly encouraging to see non-animal methods (NAMs) formally recognised in a national strategy after years of dedicated campaigning. Historically, animal
A tattooed baboon at the Wallacia facility Newly released documents have lifted the lid on what Animal-Free Science Advocacy (AFSA) describes as shocking and systemic cruelty inside Australia’s largely secretive primate research industry. Records from the baboon breeding facility at Wallacia, NSW, operated by the Sydney Local Health District, detail a series of traumatic deaths, invasive experiments and prolonged suffering with much of it
When you hear the term ‘Animal Ethics Committee’ (AEC), what comes to mind? For many people, it sounds reassuring; a group of professionals sitting around a table discussing ethics, weighing up animal welfare, questioning harm, and ensuring animals are treated with dignity and care. It evokes the image of rigorous
Hot on the heels of global animal-testing phase out announcements in 2025, global momentum is continuing with regulators and public funders beginning to put real structures in place to support animal-free science, from regulatory guidance to validation pathways and major investment in human-based methods. So, what are these changes? We
Shocking new documents obtained through Freedom of Information by Animal-Free Science Advocacy (AFSA) have revealed more than 60 disturbing deaths among research primates in Australian breeding facilities, including infants suffering catastrophic injuries, monkeys dying overnight unnoticed, and animals subjected to invasive experiments before their deaths. The records (from the years 2020 to 2025) detail incidents involving
Animal-Free Science Advocacy (AFSA) is calling on the public to support Australian Parliament e-petition EN8985, titled “Allow Primates in Research the Same Protections as Great Apes.” The petition is listed on the Australian Parliament e-petitions website and seeks to extend stronger ethical protections to all non-human primates used in research.
Animal-Free Science Advocacy (AFSA) has lodged a 2026–27 pre-budget submission urging the Australian Government to invest $5 million in FY2026–27 via the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to establish a competitive, time-limited pilot to advance regulatory-aligned validation of non-animal research methods (NAMs)—including organoids, organ-on-chip systems and computational models. The pilot
2025 was a year of immense progress for non-animal models globally. Read Dr Natalie Anderson’s summary, reflecting on Australian and international highlights. Global Landscape The pace accelerated in 2025 for NAMs, bringing some massive shifts globally. The US released their Landmark Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies,
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