The Department of Health and Human Services announced a fresh set of strategies to reduce the use of animals in medical testing, marking the second such push this year. The Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule stating that research methods other than animal testing can be used when 'appropriate' for determining the safety of drugs and biologics. The rule also replaces terms like 'animal tests' and 'animal studies' with 'nonclinical tests' and 'nonclinical studies'.
Separately, the National Institutes of Health unveiled initiatives including $88 million in funding for 10 infrastructure projects across the country. These projects aim to encourage the use of 'new approach methodologies,' such as cell-based assays, organs-on-a-chip, and computer models.
The moves signal a broader shift toward human-based research methods, though the FDA rule explicitly conditions alternatives on being 'appropriate,' leaving room for case-by-case judgment. No further details on how these changes will be implemented or enforced were provided in the announcement.