"News from EURL ECVAM" Newsletter Issues

Shape the smarter toxicology of tomorrow (04/11/2025)

Join us in discovering how far AI can take the AOP concept - and be part of the next step toward data-driven, mechanism-based safety science. A joint JRC and SCAHT challenge invites bright and creative thinkers to explore how Artificial Intelligence can accelerate Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) development and strengthen the bridge between mechanistic science and regulatory decision-making.

Omics2AOPs workshop and kick-off meeting (04/11/2025)

On 22 to 24 October EURL ECVAM hosted “Omics2AOPs”, a workshop and kick-off meeting bringing together experts from academia, research institutions, industry, regulatory agencies, and international policy organisations. Omics2AOPs is an OECD-endorsed project which aims to annotate sets of genes, proteins and metabolites to Key Events of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) by using knowledgebases and ontologies routinely employed for interpreting omics data. Omics2AOPs will build and expand on their approach by working with a group of cross-disciplinary experts in areas such as AOPs, toxicology, omics and Large Language Models. Through these efforts, the project will support contextualisation of omics data when used in toxicology, accelerating its application for regulatory purposes. The workshop and kick-off meeting was an opportunity to review and discuss work from complementary areas and activities to align the project with broad community efforts and inspire novel approaches.

Putting Science into Standards Workshop “3D Bioprinting: Towards Standards in Biomedicine” (04/11/2025)

By enabling precise layer-by-layer fabrication of living tissues and organs, 3D bioprinting is a promising biotechnology with applications in regenerative medicine and drug development. However, the journey towards clinical application and commercialization is a lack of standards. The Putting Science into Standards Workshop “3D Bioprinting: Towards Standards in Biomedicine” on 21-22 October, was organised by the Joint Research Centre together with the European Standards Development Organisations CEN-CENELEC. The workshop gathered around 60 international and European experts from academia, industry, hospitals, and mapped standardisation needs for 3D Bioprinting in the following thematic areas: i. biological components, ii. bioinks, iii. equipment and process iv. terminology and quality/safety assessment.

New OECD Guidance related to research data (04/11/2025)

The new OECD Guidance Document on the Generation, Reporting and Use of Research Data for Regulatory Assessments is now available!

Join the Webinar on 14 November 2025 to find out how this relates to your work!

Open call for STEP4NAMs Pilot Studies! (04/11/2025)

The STEP4NAMs project brings together 10 partners from Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland and Luxemburg for boosting the use of New Approach Methodologies in (Bio)Pharma and MedTech. The invitation is open to SMEs (Small &Medium Enterprises) large companies and research institutions to join one of the pilot studies to validate NAM technologies such as organoids, OoC, digital twins and bench-top simulations. The call is open until 16 November.

Identification of concepts of importance for the assessment of internal validity of in vitro toxicology studies using a modified Delphi technique (04/11/2025)

Identification of concepts of importance for the assessment of internal validity of in vitro toxicology studies using a modified Delphi technique

Workshop report: scoping for the development of a proposal for an OECD guidance document on fish vitellogenin assessment (04/11/2025)

Workshop report: scoping for the development of a proposal for an OECD guidance document on fish vitellogenin assessment

Bridging the prevention gap: funding distribution and methodological shifts in prevention-focused biomedical research under EU framework programmes (04/11/2025)

Bridging the prevention gap: funding distribution and methodological shifts in prevention-focused biomedical research under EU framework programmes

EPAA 20th Anniversary (11/11/2025)

The European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) marked its 20th anniversary on 5 November at the European Parliament.
EURL ECVAM's Raffaella Corvi attended the event which highlighted EPAA’s role in shaping a future without animal testing and explored ways to further advance the regulatory adoption of 3Rs approaches. EURL ECVAM has been an active contributor to EPAA since its inception 20 years ago. The European Parliament session was opened by the President Roberta Metsola.
On 6 November, the EPAA 2025 Annual Conference addressed the implementation of the EU's roadmap to phase out animal testing for chemical safety assessments.

Stakeholder Workshop on EFSA’s Genotoxicity Guidance Revision (11/11/2025)

EURL ECVAM's Raffaella Corvi and DG Environment's Katrin Schutte presented the Commission's roadmap to phase out animal testing at an EFSA workshop on revising the genotoxicity guidance framework for food and feed assessment. The event gathered stakeholder input on key issues, including new approach methodologies and in silico approaches, and will inform EFSA's revised guidance.

Young TPI conference (04/11/2025)

EURL ECVAM’s Milena Mennecozzi participated to the first Young TPI conference in Amsterdam and delivered a presentation titled “Advancing human-based biomedical research through BimmoH”. The talk introduced the recently developed Biomedical model Hub (BimmoH), the first open-access, large-scale curated database of human biology-based models. The presentation outlined the rationale behind developing such a hub and included a live demonstration of the BimmoH web platform.

#EUHPP Live Webinar (04/11/2025)

On Thursday October 16th, EURL ECVAM colleagues Eleni Petra and Annalisa Gastaldello participated in a webinar organised by Humane World for Animals and Biomed21 through the EU Health Policy Platform, entitled: "Prevention Matters: Advancing Research and Policy through Human-Centred Research".

NAMs selected as funding topic under the EIC Work Programme 2026 (17/11/2025)

The European Innovation Council (EIC) has introduced a new experimental funding track called “ADVANCED INNOVATION CHALLENGES” within the EIC Work Programme 2026. The focus of the challenge will be on translating disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into practice, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of human-relevant, non-animal testing methods.

Shaping the future of animal experimentation and 3R research in Switzerland – investigating transition strategies (27/11/2025)

The "NRP 79 – Advancing 3R" is organising a scientific symposium on the future of animal-based research and 3R research in Switzerland. The event is aimed at representatives from research, administration, industry, politics, NGOs and other interested individuals.

International Conference on Advances in 3D Cell Culture (22/01/2026)

3DCC 2026 will feature focused scientific tracks on advances in 3D Cell Culture and Biofabrication, organoids and Organ-on-Chip Technologies, AI/ML and In-Silico Tools for Predictive Toxicology, Regulatory Science and Roadmaps for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches in Science (23/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM wrapped up an unforgettable week with its Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches in Science 19-23 May 2025. We hosted 120 master students and young researchers from 40 countries around the world during 5 days of hard work and fun at the JRC site in Ispra. These young researchers presented their own projects, participated in scientific debates, visited the EURL ECVAM lab, networked, and had the chance to listen, learn, and discuss with key experts in the field. A truly inspiring week for everyone!

Meeting of the EU network for the Preliminary Assessment of Regulatory Relevance (PARERE) of alternative methods (23/06/2025)

The 14th PARERE meeting took place online on 3 June 2025 and focused on the content of the 2024 EURL ECVAM Status Report on non-animal methods in science and regulation. Updates on several regulatory relevant activities were provided by ECVAM, which was followed by active discussion on the whole report. The second session of the meeting provided updates on the development of the European Commission roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments and exploring the role of PARERE in its implementation.

FELASA Congress & Exhibition 2025 (23/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM, together with DG ENV, participated in the FELASA congress in Athens 2-6 June with a joint exhibition stand and several session presentations, showcasing our work on the protection of animals used in science and promoting innovative non-animal models and methods for research and testing. The congress welcomed over 2000 participants and 100 exhibitors and visitors to our ECVAM stand had the chance to get more informed about our activities, chat with our scientists, and try out our educational Virtual Reality lab experience!

PEPPER visit (23/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM had the pleasure of hosting a visit on 4 June from PEPPER , the French based public-private partnership for the validation of non-animal methods for the identification of endocrine disruptors in chemical assessment. A seminar describing Pepper’s history, organisation and achievements was given by Céline Boudet (CEO) and Philippe Hubert (ex-CEO) and that was followed by a visit to the EURL ECVAM lab and a discussion on ongoing projects and opportunities for closer collaboration.

3rd Workshop on the Commission roadmap towards phasing out of animal testing for chemicals safety assessments (23/06/2025)

The European Commission’s third workshop on its roadmap to phase out animal testing for chemical safety assessments took place from 16–17 June 2025 hosted by ECHA in Helsinki, Finland. This was the last Commission workshop to collect input from stakeholders to draft the actions of the roadmap to be presented in the first quarter of 2026. The event is recorded and available at the ECHA web page, where you also can find the presentations and the report from the Animal-Free Chemical Safety Conference held in Brussels 4-6 March 2025 and distributed as a pre-read for this roadmap workshop.

4th Microphysiological Systems World Summit (MPS WS 2025) (23/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM participated in the MPS World Summit held in Brussels 10-13 June 2025, and in the associated workshop on “Qualification of Cardiac Complex In Vitro Models” organised by the EMA 3RsWP . The ECVAM team presented our work on standardisation of stem cells and on reporting sex differences in research papers, as well as participating in sessions and roundtables on regulatory acceptance of MPS for safety assessment of medicines and chemicals.

TSAR is guiding Europe’s journey towards non-animal methods (23/06/2025)

Developed over a decade ago, EURL ECVAM’s tool TSAR maps the regulatory journey of non-animal safety testing methods, from submission to validation, peer review, and official acceptance. In an interview published by the Dutch TPI, EURL ECVAM’s Ingrid Langezaal and Pierre Deceuninck dive into TSAR — the Tracking System for Alternative Methods - and provide a preview of the newly developed tool BimmoH, which will be a game changer for scientists who want fast and easy access to information on non-animal models being used in biomedical research that are described in the scientific literature.

EURL ECVAM joins CRACK IT Challenges to further the adoption of new approach methodologies (23/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM have joined the NC3Rs , SensOoChip and CrossDART CRACK IT projects as Challenge Partners, bringing experience in new approach methodologies for safety assessment to help bridge the gap between innovation and market adoption. This new partnership builds on EURL ECVAM's longstanding collaboration with NC3Rs embedding the 3Rs in toxicology and safety testing.

European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society 2025 (24/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM participated in the European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society 2025 conference 2-5 June in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. The event was a great chance to network and learn about cutting-edge research shaping environmental science and genomics. Together with fellow experts, the latest crucial developments in the field were addressed.

CorEuStem 2025 Annual Symposium (24/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM participated in the CorEuStem 2025 meeting on 29-30 May in Milan, Italy, which gathered scientists from stem cell core facilities participating in CorEuStem COST Action CA20140. A key focus of the event was to discuss standardising and harmonising protocols across Europe, as well as exploring new technologies to enhance collaboration and efficiency in the field. During the meeting, some outcomes of the working groups were presented, including the recent publication of a set of protocols entitled “Good practices in hPSC handling” .

The Future of Health Research with Exposome Moonshot (24/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM joined a high level gathering of international experts for the Exposome Moonshot initiative sharing insights on the latest advances in environmental health research on 12-15 May in Washington, D.C..

SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting (24/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM participated in the SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting 11-15 May in Vienna, Austria. Insights on the latest developments in environmental science and toxicology were shared, and it was an opportunity to connect with experts and explore cutting-edge research in the field!

Europe Open Day (24/06/2025)

EURL ECVAM and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) took part in the Europe Day celebrations on 10 May in Brussels. This was a unique opportunity to connect with European citizens to show how we're shaping the future of science in Europe. The JRC exhibition stand gave visitors a glimpse into our cutting-edge work in alternative methods for animal testing.

Introducing the 2024 ECVAM Status Report: A New Era in Research Innovation! (23/06/2025)

Get ready to be inspired by the 2024 ECVAM Status Report, revealing a groundbreaking shift in the world of scientific research! Thanks to the wave of cutting-edge biotechnology innovations, we are witnessing a dramatic drop in animal testing. This transformative trend is not just about ethical progress—it is about unlocking new levels of efficiency and precision in research. These advancements are setting the stage for a revolutionary era in science, where innovation, sustainability and humanity go hand in hand!

Promoting the adoption of best practices and standards to enhance quality and reproducibility of stem cell research (23/06/2025)

Promoting the adoption of best practices and standards to enhance quality and reproducibility of stem cell research

Reporting methods for reusability (Nature Methods Journal) (23/06/2025)

Reporting methods for reusability (Nature Methods Journal)

SKIG Report 2023-2024, 2023-2024 Report of the Society for the Advancement of AOPs Knowledgebase Interest Group (24/06/2025)

SKIG Report 2023-2024, 2023-2024 Report of the Society for the Advancement of AOPs Knowledgebase Interest Group

Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report (24/06/2025)

Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report

Assessing progress in monitoring and implementing the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (24/06/2025)

Assessing progress in monitoring and implementing the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

Protection of biodiversity as the ultimate goal of environmental safety assessment: how does chemical pollution affect biodiversity? (24/06/2025)

Protection of biodiversity as the ultimate goal of environmental safety assessment: how does chemical pollution affect biodiversity?

Integration of new approach methods for the assessment of data-poor chemicals (24/06/2025)

Integration of new approach methods for the assessment of data-poor chemicals

Report of the European Commission workshop on “The roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments”, Brussels, 11–12 December 2023 (24/06/2025)

Report of the European Commission workshop on “The roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments”, Brussels, 11–12 December 2023

Is regulatory science ready for artificial intelligence? (24/06/2025)

Is regulatory science ready for artificial intelligence?

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT): A call for implementation of new approach methodologies for regulatory purposes: Summary of the 5th International Conference on DNT Testing (24/06/2025)

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT): A call for implementation of new approach methodologies for regulatory purposes: Summary of the 5th International Conference on DNT Testing

Developing a global education hub for animal-free innovation (24/06/2025)

Developing a global education hub for animal-free innovation

WC13 - 13th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (31/08/2025)

3Rs integrating 3 Worlds Human, Animal and Environmental Health

EUROTOX 2025 (14/09/2025)

The 59th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology

Our latest EURL ECVAM Status Report is out! (02/04/2025)

We are thrilled to share our newly published 2024 ECVAM Status Report!
The report highlights our progress in contributing to wider EU efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of animals in testing and research.
Some key takeaways:
✅ Biotechnology boom: Unprecedented growth in the biotech sector is driving innovation and transforming many domains including biomedical research, development of medicines and in vitro testing.
✅ Standards for in vitro biotech innovation: ECVAM’s work has been instrumental in driving standardisation efforts in the in vitro biotech sector, including contributing to a standardisation roadmap produced by the CEN-CENELEC Focus Group on Organ on Chip.
✅ Better protection of workers and consumers from mutagenic chemicals: ECVAM is leading an informal working group at the UN updating GHS classification criteria to improve the identification of mutagenic chemicals and make better use of non-animal hazard data.
✅ Roadmap to phase out animal testing: We are actively supporting the preparation of the Commission’s roadmap to accelerate the replacement of animal testing in chemical safety assessments.
Learn more by diving into the full report!

A new ISO Subcommittee to develop standards for Organ-on-Chip (17/02/2025)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has set up a new Subcommittee on ‘Microphysiological systems and Organ-on-Chip’ (ISO/TC 276/SC2) under Technical Committee (TC) 276 – Biotechnology. This follows the publication of the CEN-CENELEC roadmap for standardising Organ-on-Chip technology, to which EURL ECVAM made a significant contribution. Experts interested in contributing to the new ISO subcommittee should contact their national standardisation body.

Open Access to EURL ECVAM’s High Throughput Testing Facility (17/02/2025)

EURL ECVAM is now offering open access to its cutting-edge in vitro High Throughput Testing (HTT) facility via the JRC Open Lab initiative. If you are a developer interested in automating your in vitro method on our HTT platforms to demonstrate transferability, evaluate performance and reduce animal testing then learn more about the call and apply here (deadline 31st March 2025).

Get immersed in the EURL ECVAM Virtual Laboratory (17/02/2025)

EURL ECVAM just launched a freely accessible Virtual Reality (VR) teaching tool tailored for high school education. This resource supports learning about alternatives to animal testing through an engaging and interactive virtual environment, fostering a deeper understanding of in vitro methods and Three Rs. Experience the fascinating world of VR!

ESAC Opinion on RS Comet and RSMN (17/02/2025)

A new ESAC Opinion on the scientific validity of the Reconstructed human Skin (RS) Comet and Micronucleus (MN) test methods was just released. The RS Comet and RSMN are separate in vitro assays that use human reconstructed skin models to better represent human skin tissue when compared to traditional submerged monoculture models.

Call Announcement: European initiative to validate and implement new approach methodologies in a regulatory context (17/02/2025)

A new bi-national call for interdisciplinary research has been launched by Germany and the Netherlands, focusing on validating and implementing new approach methodologies (NAMs) in regulatory safety and efficacy assessments. The initiative aims to close the translational gap for NAMs, ensuring they are fit for purpose and meet regulatory requirements. The ultimate goal is to implement new animal-free, human relevant methods as OECD guidelines or establish qualified methods for use in efficacy testing for new pharmaceuticals.

G2P in a dish: a workshop on genotype-2 phenotype research in domestic animals: in vitro models and standards (17/02/2025)

In the frame of the EuroFAANG INFRA-DEV project, funded by the EU Commission, INRAE organised a hybrid workshop (3-7 Feb 2025) on the potential of cellular systems and genome editing to validate hypotheses and explore new ones in relation to domesticated (farm) animals while adhering to the ethical principles of the 3Rs. EURL ECVAM was there to share its knowledge and resources on non-animal methods in science.

Consensus report from the OECD expert group on Thyroid Hormone Disruption Methods validated by EU-NETVAL (17/02/2025)

The OECD Test Guidelines Programme has released a publication detailing methods for testing chemicals for thyroid hormone disruption. Since 2014, member countries and research centres have focused on developing in vitro assays for this complex area. The document includes OECD consensus reports on the validation status of 11 in vitro methods, based on EU-NETVAL activities from 2017 to 2022.

Bridging imaging-based in vitro methods from biomedical research to regulatory toxicology (17/02/2025)

Bridging imaging-based in vitro methods from biomedical research to regulatory toxicology

An overview of immune safety avatar: mimicking the effects of immunomodulatory therapies on the immune system (17/02/2025)

An overview of immune safety avatar: mimicking the effects of immunomodulatory therapies on the immune system

International STakeholder NETwork (ISTNET) Workshop for creating a developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) testing roadmap for regulatory purposes (17/02/2025)

International STakeholder NETwork (ISTNET) Workshop for creating a developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) testing roadmap for regulatory purposes

Response to Letter to Editors submitted by PE Rasmussen, P Huntsman, TM Singer, MN Jacobs, and CC Trevithick-Sutton (Aug 2024) (17/02/2025)

Response to Letter to Editors submitted by PE Rasmussen, P Huntsman, TM Singer, MN Jacobs, and CC Trevithick-Sutton (Aug 2024)

IARC Workshop on the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens (17/02/2025)

IARC Workshop on the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens

Use of alternatives to animal testing for Environmental Safety Assessment (ESA): Report from the 2023 EPAA partners’ forum (17/02/2025)

Use of alternatives to animal testing for Environmental Safety Assessment (ESA): Report from the 2023 EPAA partners’ forum

SOT 64th Annual Meeting (16/03/2025)

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) will hold its 64th Annual Meeting from March 16-20, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. The event attracts over 5,000 attendees and features more than 2,000 poster presentations, making it a key gathering for toxicology professionals. EURL ECVAM will co-chair a session on "Environmentally Focused Knowledge Bases" in the Continuing Education Program, highlighting the value of the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework in regulatory toxicology. Additionally, in the roundtable "Is It Time to Right-Size Systematic Review?", we will discuss OECD's efforts to enhance the use of research data in regulatory assessments. In the scientific session on "Computational Dynamic Systems Models," we will showcase innovative work on integrating AOPs with large language models to improve predictive toxicology. EURL ECVAM is eager to engage with the global toxicology community, fostering discussions and sharing insights to advance the field.

Applications are now open! JRC Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches in Science – Changing the Paradigm (27/11/2024)

EURL ECVAM is excited to announce that applications are now open to the 5th edition of its Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches in Science: Changing the paradigm. Join the Summer School in Italy 19-23 May 2025!

Notify your Transitional Initiative! European Commission Roadmap to phase out animal testing (27/11/2024)

The Commission is establishing a dynamic catalogue of 'transitional initiatives' - planned courses of action including one or more activities, outputs and importantly expected outcomes that contribute to the phasing out of animal testing in the regulatory assessment of chemicals. We welcome notification of any initiative that contributes directly or indirectly to this goal.

EPAA Partners Forum 2024 on Endocrine Disruptors (27/11/2024)

The two-day EPAA Partners Forum 2024 concluded on a high note, bringing together more than 70 experts to discuss the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for identifying Endocrine Disruptors (ED) in EU regulatory frameworks for both human health and the environment. This collaborative gathering highlighted the strides made in advancing science-based regulatory practices and the work that lies ahead. The enthusiasm and expertise of the participants underlined the shared commitment to innovation and collaboration across sectors. Stay tuned for the report from this Partners Forum.

2024 EPAA Annual Conference: Maximising NAM uptake under existing EU regulations (27/11/2024)

The 2024 Annual Conference of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) took place on Wednesday, 13 November 2024 in Brussels. This event gave participants insights on the EPAA's achievements in 2024. The winners of the EPAA 3Rs Science Prize were announced. In addition, the potential to maximise uptake of non-animal methods under existing EU chemical and pharmaceutical regulations were discussed during 2 panel session. Our colleagues Raffaella Corvi and Maurice Whelan participated.

ASCCT (American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology) 13th Annual Meeting (27/11/2024)

The ASCCT (American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology) 13th Annual Meeting took place from 28th to 30th October at the Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) campus in Research Triangle Park, NC. Our colleague Milena Mennecozzi gave a presentation on “Sex Matters: Statistics and Trends in Animal Testing and NAMs”. The main takeaways: sex really does matter - understanding sex-specific differences is crucial for accurate toxicity assessments; train researchers - need to educate scientists on how to test for and report sex differences in order to promote reproducibility in research; advocacy is key - we must continue to advocate for the inclusion of sex as a biological variable in study design and publications.

2nd workshop on Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments (27/11/2024)

The Commission organised a one-day workshop to inform and discuss the roadmap development with all stakeholders on 25 October 2024. The Commission reported on progress and activities since the 1st workshop in December 2023, and various stakeholders presented their contributions to the development of the roadmap and the phasing out of animal testing. A panel debate on international test guidelines, validation, qualification and standardisation took place, and JRC launched the activity on transitional initiatives.

2024 LERU Workshop for Early-Stage Researchers (27/11/2024)

This workshop provided valuable insights for early-stage researchers on how to better explain their science to the general public. Our colleague Milena Mennecozzi had the opportunity to showcase the JRC's ground-breaking work on developing an AI-powered automated database (BioMedModelHub, BimmoH). This database, currently under development, collects and structures information on human biology-based models used for biomedical research, utilising machine learning to mine the vast body of published literature.

DG RTD Workshop: Supporting the translation of research results and the development of health biotech innovations for greater European benefit (27/11/2024)

This workshop discussed strategies to foster health biotech innovations in the EU, discussing opportunities and gaps of the current ecosystem. EU actions should be funnelled to promote technology transfer and knowledge valorisation, increase public and private investments in biopharmaceuticals R&I, facilitate regulatory acceptance of biotechnologies across MS.

PEPPER 5th anniversary Symposium (12/12/2024)

The PEPPER public-private non-profit platform based in France that was established to validate promising non-animal methods that can be used in a regulatory context for the identification of chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system in humans and animals. This one-day symposium was a unique opportunity to bring together a wide range of representatives from the European Commission, the OECD, national ministries, risk assessment agencies, public and private laboratories, research scientists, industry and members of civil society, to celebrate the achievements of Pepper and to discuss ways of working together to accelerate the pace of validation and the uptake of new methods into regulatory use. Maurice Whelan from ECVAM participated in a panel discussion on how validation is central to achieving policy objectives related to safe and sustainable chemicals. 06/12/2024 Maison de la RATP, Paris

Pioneering bioinformatics with agent-based modelling: an innovative protocol to accurately forecast skin or respiratory allergic reactions to chemical sensitizers (27/11/2024)

Pioneering bioinformatics with agent-based modelling: an innovative protocol to accurately forecast skin or respiratory allergic reactions to chemical sensitizers

The usefulness of in vitro mechanistic information in regulatory dossiers: the case of the CAR mode of action in carcinogenicity assessment (27/11/2024)

The usefulness of in vitro mechanistic information in regulatory dossiers: the case of the CAR mode of action in carcinogenicity assessment

A comprehensive item bank of internal validity issues of relevance to in vitro toxicology studies (27/11/2024)

A comprehensive item bank of internal validity issues of relevance to in vitro toxicology studies

The benefits of validation of methods for toxicity testing outweigh its costs (27/11/2024)

The benefits of validation of methods for toxicity testing outweigh its costs

Chemicals 2.0 and why we need to bypass the gold standard in regulatory toxicology (27/11/2024)

Chemicals 2.0 and why we need to bypass the gold standard in regulatory toxicology

A twin transition in regulatory toxicology: moving toward Chemicals 2.0 and phasing out animal testing (27/11/2024)

A twin transition in regulatory toxicology: moving toward Chemicals 2.0 and phasing out animal testing

We’re Hiring! Join the EURL ECVAM team and contribute to advancing biomedical science! (27/11/2024)

We are looking for a talented project officer to manage and support research projects focusing on cutting-edge biomedical innovations. This includes overseeing experimental studies, data analysis, and policy development to support evidence-based EU initiatives. Deadline for applications 15 January 2025.

SOT 64th Annual Meeting (16/03/2025)

The SOT 64th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo will feature five days of Featured and Scientific Sessions, poster presentations, and social events, as well as the popular three-day ToxExpo.

Save the date! Next edition of the JRC Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches in Science – Changing the Paradigm (03/10/2024)

We are excited to announce the fifth edition of our JRC Summer School on Non-animal Approaches in Science - Changing the Paradigm, organised by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and its EU Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM).

Call-for-Evidence on the Commission Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments (03/10/2024)

The Commission has launched a call-for-evidence on the Commission Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments. The Commission would like to hear your views. The call is open for feedback until 15 October 2024.

EFSA Publishes Reports on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Food and Feed Sector (03/10/2024)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published two key reports under the NAMs4NANO project.
The first report, "Review of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for application in risk assessment of nanoparticles in the food and feed sector", reviews current NAMs useful for nanoparticle risk assessment in line with EFSA's guidance. Read more.
The second report, "Proposal for a qualification system for New Approach Methodologies", proposes a framework to expedite regulatory use of NAMs for chemical risk assessment, initially focusing on nanoparticles. This report is published as an interim version to stimulate a broad discussion among experts and stakeholders involved in nanotechnology, food safety, and public health. Feedback is welcome by the end of December 2024.

EURION Methods Table Now Publicly Available (03/10/2024)

EURION is a cluster of eight research projects that received €50 million from the European Commission’s H2020 programme to develop new testing and screening methods to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals. Recently, the EURION Methods Table was made publicly available, which is a comprehensive collection of test methods that cover various endocrine disruption modalities including thyroid, metabolic disruption, androgen, estrogen, developmental neurotoxicity, and steroidogenesis related pathways. The table can be accessed and downloaded via the Horizon Results Platform and Zenodo.

ISSCR 2024 Conference in Hamburg (03/10/2024)

The annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) was held in July 2024 in Hamburg. During the conference, EURL ECVAM hosted a panel discussion on implementing stem cell standards in the session “Use of standards for stem cells in non-clinical research”, addressing key topics such as the concept of standardisation, as well as the challenges and benefits of adopting stem cell standards in non-clinical research. These discussions highlighted the importance of standardised approaches in advancing stem cell-based methods.

OoC Summer School 2024 in Tübingen (07/10/2024)

On 4 September, EURL ECVAM participated with a lecture on Good Cell Culture Practices (GCCP), in the second Organ-on-Chip Summer School organised by the 3R-Center Tübingen together with the Working Group ‘Teaching & Training’ of the European Organ-on-Chip Society (EUROoCS). The contribution from EURL ECVAM stressed the importance and opportunities for early-career scientists to put GCCP principles into practice in order to improve the quality, publishability and impact or their work.

ISTNET DART Workshop in Zurich (07/10/2024)

The first meeting of the International Stakeholder Network (ISTNET) for Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (DART) was held on 12-13 September 2024 in Zürich. The aim of the meeting was to develop a roadmap for animal-free DART regulatory testing. The meeting included 61 participants from 12 countries representing regulatory, academic and industry scientists. Our colleague Lucia Selfa Aspiroz was part of the organizing committee and delivered a presentation on readiness criteria and validation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). A meeting report will follow that will summarize the outcome.

Return on investment in science: twenty years of European Commission funded research in Alzheimer’s dementia, breast cancer and prostate cancer (03/10/2024)

Return on investment in science: twenty years of European Commission funded research in Alzheimer’s dementia, breast cancer and prostate cancer

What public health challenges and unmet medical needs would benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration in the EU? A survey and multi-stakeholder debate (03/10/2024)

What public health challenges and unmet medical needs would benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration in the EU? A survey and multi-stakeholder debate

2nd European Commission Conference on Phasing Out Animal Testing (25/10/2024)

Registrations are now open for the 2nd Commission conference on the Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments. The conference is related to the communication from the European Commission on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing”. In this communication, the Commission committed to develop a roadmap towards ultimately phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments. The roadmap will outline milestones and specific actions that would be pre-requisites for a transition towards an animal-free chemical legislation.

ASCCT 13th Annual Meeting (28/10/2024)

Join us at the 13th annual meeting of the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology!
Our colleague Milena Mennecozzi will give a presentation on “Sex Matters: Statistics and Trends in Animal Testing and NAMs”, during the session "Closing the Sex Gap in Toxicology with AOPs and NAMs" on Tuesday, 29 October, 2024 from 10:00 to 11:30.

2024 EPAA Annual Conference (13/11/2024)

Sign up to attend the 2024 Annual Conference of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA). This event will give participants insights on the EPAA's achievements in 2024. The winners of the EPAA 3Rs Science Prize will also be announced. In addition, the potential to maximise NAM uptake under existing EU chemical and pharmaceutical regulations will be discussed during 2 panel sessions.

17th European Public Health Conference 2024 (13/11/2024)

Want to know more about the assessment of health impacts for informed policy making? Join us at the workshop we are organising in collaboration with DG SANTE and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) on "Improving health impact assessment in the context of EU policy cycle", where health impact methodologies used in the European Commission, the role of epidemiology in the EU policy formulation of chemicals, and Burden of Disease approaches will be discussed.

Chemical Strategy for Sustainability indicators (28/06/2024)

EURL ECVAM contributed to the newly published Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) Indicator Dashboard, developing 4 brand new indicators. These indicators focus on “Risk from chemical mixtures to human health”, “Ecological risk of pesticides in EU soils” and “the uses of animals in regulatory testing of industrial chemicals”. This accomplishment marks the completion of the CSS commitment to develop an indicator framework for monitoring chemical pollution and the effectiveness of related legislation.

IPCHEM - The Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring (28/06/2024)

The IPCHEM team has worked to support our IPCHEM users that are interested in using monitoring data for addressing more complex use cases. This may involve the need for data on multiple chemicals, multiple media or locations. An open source toolbox in an R and a Python version was specifically designed to help our users to explore, filter and retrieve the data they need from IPCHEM.

Liver Ring Trial launched (28/06/2024)

Supported by EURL ECVAM and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), TissUse launched a Liver Ring Trial in collaboration with ESQLabs, UCB, and five major pharmaceutical companies. The trial will validate the reliability of a liver Micro-Physiological System (MPS) for predicting drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and intrinsic clearance, aiming to advance non-clinical drug assessment without animals. The trial leverages organ-on-chip technology and computational models, seeking to enhance the credibility of MPS data for regulatory submissions.

PRO-MaP to promote trust and reusability of methods in life science research (28/06/2024)

EURL ECVAM initiated PRO-MaP (Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols) to bring together a broad cross-section of the life science community, including policy makers and publishers, to join forces and define means to increase and improve the open reporting of methods and reusable protocols, in support of the EU’s Open Science and Knowledge Valorisation policies. Recommendations set out in a newly published report outline actions that key stakeholder groups can take to achieve Pro-Map goals.

JRC Summer School on Non-Animal Approaches wins sustainability prize (28/06/2024)

The success of the EURL ECVAM JRC Summer School on Non-animal Approaches in Science 2023, which received the European Commission Sustainable Events Award for the second time, highlights the school's commitment to environmentally conscious event planning and its ability to promote innovative non-animal methods in science while remaining impactful. Since its inception, four Summer Schools have trained over 400 post-graduate students worldwide. To gauge its impact, EURL ECVAM conducted a survey among alumni. The results can be found in a newly published report. Post-graduate students and early-career scientists can now look forward to the fifth edition of the Summer School, scheduled for 19-23 May 2025.

PEPPER calls for partner laboratories to validate the ‘Fluorescent FITC-T4 Transthyretin Competitive Binding Assay’ for the identification of endocrine disruptors (08/07/2024)

As follow-up of the EURL ECVAM validation study of methods relevant for thyroid hormone system disruption, an OECD expert group for thyroid disruption methods evaluated several methods as being sensitive, specific, and reproducible and recommended their further validation, needed for regulatory use of the method. The French public-private platform for the pre-validation of endocrine disruptors characterization methods (PEPPER) has included two methods for the inhibition of thyroid hormone deiodination (DIO1-SK method, TM 2019-10) and the inhibition of thyroid hormone transport (FITC/T4-TTR method, TM 2019-09) onto its work programme to confirm transferability and between laboratory reproducibility. There is currently an open invitation for laboratories to participate in the FITC/T4-TTR method validation study. For further information, interested laboratories are invited to consult the call on the website https://ed-pepper.eu or to contact PEPPER at contact@ed-pepper.eu. Deadline for application: 31 July 2024

Karolinska Institutet’s Toxicology Master Students visit EURL ECVAM (28/06/2024)

On May 16th, ECVAM had the pleasure of hosting 26 brilliant Toxicology Master Students from Karolinska Institutet! They pitched their innovative projects and explored the EURL ECVAM lab, plus, they gave us some useful ideas on how to promote alternatives to animal testing and the 3Rs in University education!

Delegation from Taiwan NARLabs visiting EURL ECVAM (28/06/2024)

On May 21st Genie Chin, Director-General of the National Laboratory Animal Center of NARLabs and Director of the Taiwan 3R Initiative Program, provided interesting insights into the Taiwan 3R Initiative! This initiative, launched in October 2021, represents a collaborative effort among government agencies to enhance the adoption and integration of alternative test strategies, accelerate biomedical research innovations and promote animal welfare in Taiwan. We look forward to continued collaboration with our Taiwanese colleagues on advancing these important goals, particularly in the area of Organ-on-Chip methods!

Advancing science and non-animal methods together! (28/06/2024)

The Brazilian Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM) visited EURL ECVAM on 22-23 May to strengthen international partnerships and collaboration. Linked to the Vice-Presidency for Research and Biological Collections (VPPCB) at FIOCRUZ, BraCVAM focuses on developing and validating alternative methods to animal testing in research and education. By promoting the principles of the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), both BraCVAM and EURL ECVAM aim to advance scientific research and innovation while ensuring ethical standards and enhance animal welfare.

PARERE meeting (28/06/2024)

On 29 May 2024, the EURL ECVAM Network for Preliminary Assessment of Regulatory Relevance (PARERE) meeting took place providing updates on the current status form the Member States and EURL ECVAM.

EUROoCS Conference (08/07/2024)

EURL ECVAM made a splash at the EUROoCS Annual Meeting 2024 recently! The conference came to a close on July 5th, and our team participated in several activities focused on Organ-on-Chip (OoC) standardisation, qualification, and regulatory uptake.

Beyond chemicals: Opportunities and challenges of integrating non-chemical stressors in adverse outcome pathways (28/06/2024)

Beyond chemicals: Opportunities and challenges of integrating non-chemical stressors in adverse outcome pathways

Recommendations on fit-for-purpose criteria to establish quality management for microphysiological systems and for monitoring their reproducibility (28/06/2024)

Recommendations on fit-for-purpose criteria to establish quality management for microphysiological systems and for monitoring their reproducibility

Transition to innovative, human-relevant pre-clinical cardiovascular research: a perspective (28/06/2024)

Transition to innovative, human-relevant pre-clinical cardiovascular research: a perspective

Exploring the relationship between the societal impact of EU-funded biomedical research in selected disease areas and the use of animal and non-animal based approaches (18/07/2024)

Exploring the relationship between the societal impact of EU-funded biomedical research in selected disease areas and the use of animal and non-animal based approaches

Report of the European Commission workshop on “The Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments” (18/07/2024)

Report of the European Commission workshop on “The Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments”

EUROTOX 2024 (08/09/2024)

58th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology

DART workshop (12/09/2024)

DART workshop

The benefits of validation of methods for toxicity testing outweigh its costs (08/04/2024)

The benefits of validation of methods for toxicity testing outweigh its costs

The EURL ECVAM Status Report 2023 is out! (08/04/2024)

Among the highlights are new in vitro methods under consideration for regulatory application, a virtual reality application for Three Rs education in schools, enhancing collaboration to promote innovative non-animal approaches, and much more!

5th International Conference on Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT5) (07/04/2024)

Helsinki Chemicals Forum (10/04/2024)

Good practices and resources to improve the utility of research data in regulatory assessments (08/04/2024)

Guidance to define and promote good practices for regulatory consideration of non-standard scientific data is crucial. How do we improve the regulatory uptake of research data and what are the challenges of integrating non-standard research data into regulatory assessments? If you missed the online webinar, the outcome report and presentations are now available!

Investigating the dependency of in vitro benchmark concentrations on exposure time in transcriptomics experiments (08/04/2024)

Investigating the dependency of in vitro benchmark concentrations on exposure time in transcriptomics experiments

EUROoCS Conference (03/07/2024)

If you plan to be there, come and visit us in our exhibition booth!

22nd International Congress of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV 2024) (03/06/2024)

The 3R LÄND conference (21/05/2024)

The ISSCR Annual Conference (10/07/2024)

SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting (05/05/2024)

Collaboration is key to advance scientific research! (08/04/2024)

Toshiyasu ICHIOKA, Director of RIKEN Europe, the Japanese national science institute, visited EURL ECVAM at the JRC Ispra in February to give an overview of their cutting-edge research, including a focus on advanced in vitro models.

Comprehensive mapping of the AOP-Wiki database: identifying biological and disease gaps (08/04/2024)

Comprehensive mapping of the AOP-Wiki database: identifying biological and disease gaps

Paving the way for using advanced in vitro imaging in regulatory toxicology! (08/04/2024)

The EURL ECVAM team hosted a workshop on 7-8 March to explore how to facilitate the uptake of imaging-based in vitro methods in regulatory toxicology. Experts from regulatory authorities, industry and academia discussed issues including the reliability of advanced technologies, their transferability across sites, and how to ensure sufficient quality of the data produced. Workshop report coming soon!

Heads on! Designing a qualification framework for organ-on-chip (08/04/2024)

Heads on! Designing a qualification framework for organ-on-chip

From animal testing to in vitro systems: advancing standardization in microphysiological systems (08/04/2024)

From animal testing to in vitro systems: advancing standardization in microphysiological systems

The EU-NETVAL meeting 2023 Summary Record (08/04/2024)

The EU-NETVAL meeting 2023 Summary Record

EPAA Designathon Challenge workshop (08/04/2024)

In June 2023, the EPAA and JRC launched the Designathon challenge for human systemic toxicity, to crowd-source different (partial) solutions for a chemical hazard classification scheme based solely on non-animal methods. The workshop was held at the JRC on March 20-22 and gathered participants who have signed up to the challenge and who submitted their ideas prior to the workshop. The flash report from the workshop is now available!

Predictive Modelling of Allergic Responses to Chemical Sensitizers: Distinguishing Skin and Respiratory Reactions (08/04/2024)

Predictive Modelling of Allergic Responses to Chemical Sensitizers: Distinguishing Skin and Respiratory Reactions

EPAA Designathon: Revolutionising Chemical Safety Assessment (06/12/2023)

Unleash your creativity in the EPAA Designathon! Join us in revamping chemical risk assessment using innovative New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) based on cutting-edge non-animal technologies. Help shape the future of human health protection without animals! Submit your proposal before the end of the year!

IPCHEM: Significant Milestone for Food and Feed Monitoring Data (06/12/2023)

The food & feed module of IPCHEM now includes close to 300 Million concentration measurements for pesticide residues, veterinary medicinal product residues and food contaminants! This represents another breakthrough in making food and feed monitoring data publicly available, thanks to a collaborative effort between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). Get ready for the future Common Data Platform on Chemicals

AI powered Database of Human Biology-based Non-Animal Methods for Biomedical Research (06/12/2023)

Our automated database project has lift off! With the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence, this project will revolutionise the way biomedical research information is collected and organised. This innovative platform will provide researchers with a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for exploring the application of non-animal methods in biomedical research. Stay tuned for updates!

The JRC Summer School 2023 Report is out (06/12/2023)

A summary report of the fourth edition of the JRC Summer school on Non-animal Approaches in Science 2023 has been published! The report describes the scope, scientific programme and the many interactive sessions were organised. It also includes feedback from participants, highlighting the event's dynamic format and engaging atmosphere, and the invaluable networking opportunities it provided to participants.

2023 EU-NETVAL meeting (06/12/2023)

The 2023 meeting of the EU Network of Laboratories for the Validation of Alternative Methods (EU-NETVAL) was a resounding success! Held at the JRC Ispra site in Italy, the packed agenda covered a range of important topics including updates from EURL ECVAM, validation principles and practice, organisation and funding challenges of validation studies, and the transferability of in vitro methods containing high tech elements. A panel of industry and CRO representatives shared their views on issues surrounding the commercialisation of non-animal testing methods and services, and there was time too for reviewing the results achieved in the thyroid validation study.

Boot Camp on Safe and Sustainable by Design (06/12/2023)

The EURL ECVAM team contributed to a unique joint initiative of DG RTD and PARC to bring together a wide range of disciplines and stakeholders to guide development and innovation processes for chemicals and materials to minimise their impact on health, climate and the environment! The Boot Camp, held at the JRC site in Italy, provided participants with insights in Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) thinking, to learn about the EU SSbD framework from experts in the field, and to become part of the growing SSbD community!

EUROTOX 2023: Another Step Towards a Future Without Animal Testing (06/12/2023)

Our team at EURL ECVAM participated in the EUROTOX 2023 conference, sharing our work on advancing the use of non-animal testing methods. We connected with fellow professionals and discussed the latest developments in toxicology. We're excited to continue working towards a future where animal testing is no longer needed.

EPAA Annual Conference (06/12/2023)

The 2023 Annual Conference of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing took place on Wednesday, 15 November 2023. The aim of this event was to provide participants with insights on EPAA achievements in 2023, to announce the EPAA Refinement Prize winner, and to discuss challenges and opportunities for protection of people and our environment through NAMs. Recordings available online.

Exposure considerations in human safety assessment: Report from an EPAA Partners’ Forum (14/11/2022)

Exposure considerations in human safety assessment: Report from an EPAA Partners’ Forum

Towards a future regulatory framework for chemicals in the European Union – Chemicals 2.0 (06/12/2023)

Towards a future regulatory framework for chemicals in the European Union – Chemicals 2.0

Commission Workshop on a Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing (11/12/2023)

The European Commission will organise a hybrid "workshop on a roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments" on 11-12 December 2023 in Brussels as part of the response to the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) ‘Save Cruelty-free Cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing'. This hybrid workshop will take place in Brussels and is open for registration, it can also be attended online. The JRC / EURL ECVAM will be presenting in all three sessions.

The Cell Transformation Assay: A Historical Assessment of Current Knowledge of Applications in an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment for Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens (06/12/2023)

The Cell Transformation Assay: A Historical Assessment of Current Knowledge of Applications in an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment for Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens