Promising research using human data

The major revolution to no longer use animal testing is yet to come. According to research institute DRIFT, breakthroughs are still needed in various areas to achieve this. For instance, there are opportunities in the area of research using human data.

Promising developments

Together with the TPI network, DRIFT has researched promising developments, such as:

personalised healthcare: knowledge about human beings will form the basis of research for human beings. This will replace animal testing as the gold standard;
safety assessments: research using e.g. human cells and human data. Animal tests often fall short of determining the safety of medicines or chemical substances.

New assessment guidelines based on knowledge about human beings are therefore needed. The participants shared their insights on the transition towards animal-free innovation. Innovators from the TPI network and a number of ‘fresh thinkers’ from outside tested and enriched their insights.

Deepening, broadening and embedding

Technology opens up numerous possibilities, but not everything is within reach yet. Animal-free innovations still need to receive a boost in education and in legislation and regulations. That is why, over the coming years, the TPI programme partners wish to achieve the following:

deepen animal-free practices;
broaden the network and conduct dialogue with professionals from science and industry and with regulators;
embed what is already possible without animal testing in policy and rules.