Beyond animal testing: NAMs reshape the path of science
Governments from the UK, US, and EU are accelerating plans to reduce or phase out animal testing, backed by rapid advances in new approach methodologies (NAMs) such as organs-on-chips, organoids, and AI-based models. Regulators are beginning to accept NAM data and fund or pilot related tools (e.g., FDA ISTAND), and industry is investing in human biology models. Yet experts warn that many biological systems remain too complex for non-animal methods, and full replacement will take time; the trend is a staged 3Rs-driven decline, not an immediate end to animal research.