New Approaches to Evaluate the Safety of Chemicals and Medical Products in the United States

New program to reduce animal testing relating to toxicology in the U.S.

This strategic roadmap is a resource to guide U.S. federal agencies and stakeholders seeking to adopt new approaches to safety and risk assessment of chemicals and medical products that improve human relevance and replace or reduce the use of animals. This document was developed with input from members of 16 federal agencies, multiple interagency workgroups, and input from the public. As such, it represents a consensus perspective that does not necessarily reflect opinions or policy of any specific agency or workgroup, and should not be taken as a commitment by any federal agency.

Activities to implement the strategic roadmap goals are already underway. ICCVAM workgroups will develop detailed implementation plans to address roadmap goals, tailored to specific toxicological endpoints of concern.

View an overview of roadmap implementation

To expedite the use of 21st-century science to protect and improve public health, federal agencies and stakeholders will work together to build a new framework to enable development, establish confidence in, and ensure use of new approaches to toxicity testing that improve human health relevance and reduce or eliminate the need for testing in animals. The successful development and implementation of these new approaches will require coordinated efforts that address the three strategic goals described below.

(1) Connect end users with the developers of NAMs

(2) Foster the use of efficient, flexible, and robust practices to establish confidence in new methods

(3) Encourage the adoption and use of new methods and approaches by federal agencies and regulated industries

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle