EMA supports reducing animal testing in drug development

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced its support for a joint statement by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) aimed at gradually reducing and replacing animal testing in drug development.

Proposed alternatives include testing on cells and tissues, three-dimensional and microphysiological systems, computer modeling, artificial intelligence-based analyses, and increased use of human data. The goal is to transition toward these methods while ensuring patient safety and medicine quality through scientifically validated processes.

In the European Union, the use of animals for pharmaceutical regulatory testing decreased by approximately half between 2015 and 2023. The initiative calls for the harmonization of requirements across countries to ensure that validated alternative methods are widely accepted during the development and authorization stages.