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December 2024
The global animal model market size is calculated at USD 2.54 billion in 2024, grew to USD 2.76 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach around USD 5.81 billion by 2034. The market is expanding at a CAGR of 8.64% between 2025 and 2034. The growing research and development activities, rising incidences of chronic disorders, and increasing investments drive the market.
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Animal models are non-human species used in biomedical research to mimic the aspects of biological processes or diseases found in humans. They have similar structural and functional characteristics to humans. Animal models are used to study diseases and test treatments in cases where human experimentation is not possible or unethical. Some common examples of animals used for experimentation include mice, rats, guinea pigs, zebrafish, monkeys, and dogs. The type of animal to be used depends on the type of experiment, the disease process under investigation, and the degree of similarity between a particular animal organism and humans.
The rising incidences of chronic disorders due to the increasing geriatric population necessitates the development of novel drugs for the treatment of these disorders. This leads to the growing research and development activities in several research organizations. Favorable regulatory policies also contribute to the market as several regulatory agencies demand preclinical study results before conducting human trials. Additionally, increasing investments and collaborations favor novel research, propelling market growth.
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms in animal models holds immense potential to revolutionize pharmaceutical research. They can overcome numerous challenges associated with conventional methods. AI and ML can help researchers select the appropriate animal models for different experiments. They can extract meaningful insights from diverse data sources. They can also aid in accurate dose calculation and automate dose delivery to animal models.
AI and ML can notify researchers of timely dose delivery. They can also aid researchers in predicting and analyzing the response of animals. Moreover, combining AI and ML analyses of animal model data with human clinical data allows for better translation of findings, increasing the relevance of animal model findings to human disease. Thus, AI and ML can optimize preclinical studies using animal models by analyzing complex datasets, improving experimental design, and predicting outcomes.
Growing Research and Development
The growing research and development activities for various aspects of pharmaceutical and biotechnology problems boost the market growth. Animal models are primarily used to study the progression of a disease or investigate the role of novel drugs or drug delivery systems. Preclinical studies are essential to assess a drug's safety, efficacy, and toxicity profile. Apart from drug development, animal models are also used during the development of medical devices, tissue engineering, wound healing, bone and cartilage regeneration studies, as a model in vascular surgeries, and as a model in vertebral disc regeneration surgery. The increasing incidences of chronic disorders such as systemic autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc. potentiate the animal model market growth. Favorable government policies and increasing investments promote R&D activities in various research laboratories.
Ethical Issues and Alternative Methods
The animal model market faces formidable challenges including ethical issues and alternative methods. Guidelines are made to minimize the use of animals for scientific experiments and minimize pain or distress. Social acceptance also influences the market. Such ethical issues hinder market growth. The development of alternative methods to eliminate animal use also poses a significant threat to the market. The latest advancements in organs-on-chips and 3D cell culture techniques restrict market growth.
Increasing Demand for Regenerative Medicine
The recent advancements in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research led to the development of regenerative medicine. These regenerative medicines are used for numerous disorders including musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Several researchers are investigating the role of regenerative medicines on animal models to determine their safety, efficacy, and dosage. It is essential to understand the full spectrum of stem cell actions and preclinical evidence for safety and therapeutic efficacy. For regenerative medicine research, large animal models such as rabbits, dogs, sheep, and goats are most widely used as they are better predictors of responses than rodents. The increasing demand for regenerative medicines owing to favorable government policies and new product launches present future growth opportunities for the animal model market.
By animal type, the mice segment held a dominant presence in the animal model market in 2024. Mice are predominantly used for research purposes due to their anatomical, physiological, and genetic similarity. The lifespan of mice is 2-3 years, making it suitable to study the disease progression. Additionally, they are easy to breed and relatively economical to maintain, making them ideal laboratory animal models. These properties make them a suitable choice. The ability to genetically modify the mice to study diseases that have a genetic predisposition augments the segment’s growth.
By animal type, the guinea pig segment is predicted to witness significant growth in the market over the forecast period. Guinea pigs have biological similarities to humans. They are most widely used to study allergies and respiratory diseases, nutritional research, hearing, and safety testing. The respiratory systems of guinea pigs are sensitive to allergens, making them useful for asthma studies. Additionally, they display anaphylactic reactions more readily and strongly than most species.
By application, the cancer segment held the largest share of the global animal model market in 2024. The rising incidences and prevalence of cancer necessitate the development of treatment regimens for treating cancer, boosting the segment’s growth. The demand for animal models also increases to study cancer progression and the potential complexity of the disease. Mice, rats, beagle dogs, and zebrafish are common animals used in cancer research. The main aim of animal usage in cancer research is to understand the pathophysiology of different types of cancer, from genomics and proteomics to metabolomics level, to screen the behavior of tumor cells in living organisms, and the efficiency of treatment methods.
By application, the immunological disease segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the market during the forecast period. The increasing incidences and prevalence of autoimmune disorders promote the segment’s growth. It is estimated that the incidence rate of autoimmune disorders is 19.1% and the prevalence rate is 12.5%. Monkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, and mice are commonly used to model human autoimmune diseases. Three basic types of animal models are used in autoimmune research, such as spontaneous models, induced models, and genetically engineered models.
By end-use, the pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment led the global animal model market in 2024. The segment’s growth is attributed to the availability of suitable capital investment, favorable infrastructure, and growing research and development activities. The growing new drug discovery research requires pre-clinical studies. Merck & Co., Roche, and Johnson & Johnson are the top companies with the highest R&D expenditure in 2024. Also, the average return on investment in pharmaceutical R&D was 4.1% in 2024. According to the Deloitte report, the average development cost of new drugs and therapies amounted to $2.3 billion in 2024.
By end-use, the contract research organization segment is projected to expand rapidly in the market in the coming years. The demand for contract research organizations (CROs) increases as they perform research on a contract basis. CROs reduce the costs for companies to develop new medicines and drugs in niche markets. The rising development of new drugs for rare disorders increases the demand for CROs. They have suitable facilities and trained professionals for performing diverse types of research, fueling the segment’s growth.
North America dominated the global animal model market in 2024. The rising incidences of chronic disorders, state-of-the-art research and development facilities, and the presence of key players drive the market. The stringent regulatory policies by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) boost the market. The Animal Rule by the US FDA necessitates animal studies to provide the evidence of effectiveness needed for marketing approval. In the US, 95% of all warm-blooded animals used in research are rats and mice, while non-human primates account for less than 1% of warm-blooded laboratory animals. In Canada, the most common animals used were mice (36.8%), fish (32.2%), and cattle (17.5%) in 2024.
Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR in the animal model market during the studied years. The growing research and development activities, increasing investments & collaborations, and burgeoning pharmaceutical sector drive the market. The Japanese government launched the “Strengthening Drug Discovery Venture Ecosystem Project” with a budget of 300 billion yen starting in 2022. The Indian government launched a “Scheme for Promotion of Research & Innovation in Pharma Sector (PRIP)” with a budget of Rs. 5,000 crore for 5 years, i.e. from 2024-24 to 2027-28. The increasing number of pharmaceutical firms also potentiate the market. There are currently more than 10,000 major pharmaceutical firms in China and around 3,000 pharmaceutical firms in India.
Sujan Shresta, Ph.D., LJI Professor, commented that SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination settings and other relevant tissues can be studied using the novel developed mouse model. She also added that there is no such thing as a perfect animal model, but their goal is to make an animal model that recapitulates the human disease and immune response as much as possible, contributing to pandemic preparedness around the world.
By Animal Type
By Application
By End-Use
By Region
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December 2024
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