US EPA charts path to reduce animal testing

The US Environmental Protection Agency has a plan to help the agency meet its goal of reducing animal testing used to inform chemical risk evaluations. By 2025, the agency hopes to reduce testing on mammals by 30%. By 2035, it aims to eliminate mammalian tests. The EPA released the first iteration of its plan on June 22. The agency expects to continually update the plan with input from stakeholders, Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, principal deputy assistant administrator for science in the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, said during a June 30 webinar. The initial plan provides objectives and timelines. For example, in 2021 the EPA intends to report on barriers to applying nonanimal tests under various statutes and policies. The agency will develop baselines and metrics for assessing progress and provide an update on those efforts at the end of 2021. By the end of 2022, the EPA hopes to develop a framework for establishing scientific confidence in nonanimal tests and their applicability to regulatory decisions. The EPA aims to share its progress toward reducing animal testing at its annual New Approach Methods conference in October.