There has been great momentum at the federal level recently, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced a renewed commitment to eliminating mammalian animal testing and advancing the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in chemical and pesticide safety evaluations.
This is another great step forward in the regulatory space, and it is due to persistent pressure being applied by organizations like NAVS and its supporters. Our advocates are always there to step up and use their voice to encourage action from agencies, legislators, and regulatory bodies, and without that, changes like these do not occur.
Key actions announced by the EPA include:
- Reaffirming EPA’s goal of ending mammalian animal testing by 2035.
- Updating EPA’s list of accepted NAMs for the first time in five years, adding 13 new non-animal methods for use in regulatory assessments.
- Releasing a new implementation memorandum directing EPA programs to prioritize the use of NAMs and reduce reliance on animal testing.
- Establishing an agency-wide approach to accelerating the development, validation, and adoption of non-animal methods.
The announcement is significant because it pairs a long-term commitment to phase out animal testing with concrete administrative actions that could expand the use of human-relevant, non-animal approaches in EPA decision-making. Most notably, the addition of 13 newly accepted NAMs represents the first update to EPA’s accepted methods list in five years and provides new opportunities to replace animal tests in regulatory safety evaluations.
