Report on the first ONTOX stakeholder network meeting: barriers and drivers for implementing animal-free risk assessment
The EU-funded ONTOX project is developing fully animal-free strategies for the safety and risk assessment of chemicals, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This report summarizes the outcomes of the project's first stakeholder meeting, where representatives from government, industry, academia, and NGOs—including Doctors Against Animal Experiments—identified key priorities for action. The main objective of the dialogue was to systematically identify the organizational and regulatory barriers to phasing out animal testing. Participants highlighted bureaucratic and lengthy validation processes for animal-free methods, as well as reservations among regulatory authorities regarding AI-based models, as major obstacles. In addition, many regulatory agencies and companies lack trained personnel and standardized guidance for implementing innovative New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). Participants broadly agreed that animal-free testing strategies, because of their greater relevance to human biology, can provide an equivalent—or even higher—level of consumer protection. The report concludes that fully replacing animal testing will require not only scientific innovation but also fundamental changes in regulatory practice.