In this webinar, Bella Lear discusses why animals remain key to preclinical research and why, despite aspirations for the complete replacement of animals, they are likely to remain an essential tool of drug discovery. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are advancing rapidly, yet in most cases, evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of new medicines still relies on animal testing. This webinar reviews the long history of animal models in science-based medicine, and discusses the future which will include both animal models and NAMs.