An article by leading scientists argues that any transition to non-animal methods in toxicology testing will need ‘a new paradigm for safety assessment’ based on regulatory, not scientific factors.
The paper in Toxicological Sciences, written by scientists from EARA member Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Procter & Gamble, believes non-animal methods hold great promise in providing useful information for chemical hazard and risk assessment.
However, the paper explains that a complete transition will require stakeholders to accept that it is possible to regulate chemicals based on their 'mode of action' rather than the adverse outcomes they cause.
“Significant advances in understanding biological responses to chemicals has led to a different approach for predicting toxicity that is more focused on the initial events leading to adverse outcomes, an approach that has been termed 21st century toxicology,” the scientists wrote.
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