An estimated 115 million animals are used in laboratory experiments worldwide, around 9 million of them in toxicity testing.

Many countries in which animal testing takes place fail to collate statistics on the level of animal use or types of experiments involved. Where data are available, they usually exclude whole sectors of animal use, such as animals killed as surplus or for tissues and organs, as well as most invertebrate species.

Many so-called "alternatives" to animal testing still involve animals: fish; invertebrates; embryos; tissues and cells; animal-based serums.

The Lush Prize commission research to highlight the extent of animal testing and issues that cause delays to the implementation of scientific progress that do not rely on animal use. It promotes the 1R of "replacement" and not the 3Rs (the others being "reduction" and "refinement").

The annual Prize aims to speed the introduction of non-animal testing, particularly in toxicity testing for consumer products and ingredients. It does this by providing a £250,000 (300,000€) annual fund to reward effective projects and individuals working in five areas of science and campaigning. The Lush Prize is a major initiative aiming to bring forward the day when safety testing takes place without the use of animals and complements the many projects already addressing the use of animals in medical testing.