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P͟e͟p͟p͟e͟r͟'͟s͟ ͟F͟i͟r͟s͟t͟ ͟M͟e͟t͟h͟o͟d͟ ͟R͟e͟a͟c͟h͟e͟s͟ ͟t͟h͟e͟ ͟F͟i͟n͟i͟s͟h͟ ͟L͟i͟n͟e͟:͟ ͟G͟R͟T͟A͟ ͟i͟s͟ ͟N͟o͟w͟ ͟a͟n͟ ͟O͟E͟C͟D͟ ͟T͟e͟s͟t͟ ͟G͟u͟i͟d͟e͟l͟i͟n͟e   𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳.   Within six and a half years, the glucocorticoid receptor transactivation assay, developed in Prof. Patrick Balaguer's INSERM laboratory in Montpellier, was taken through every stage of the process: selection, preparation, tender for laboratories, onboarding, training, transferability assessment, and blinded ring trial, leading to the drafting and formal adoption of the Test Guideline. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲. I want to acknowledge Patrick Balaguer and his team, the participating laboratories at INERIS, Toxem, and Tame-Water (now Inovalys), the many experts who supported the project along the way, and the OECD - OCDE Expert Panel, WNT, and Test Guidelines Secretariat for their rigour and collaboration throughout.   There is more in the pipeline. RARTA is in TG drafting. Three additional projects complete ring trials this year. The work continues.   Validated methods for endocrine disruptor characterisation are necessary to make regulation enforceable. Without them, risk assessment relies on data that can be inconsistent, easily contested, or simply absent. Every Test Guideline adopted closes a gap that civil society, industry, and regulators have all been expecting for years.   The EU Commission's Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing, published early June explicitly identifies the need to strengthen NAM validation financially and through dedicated support. Pepper's work is precisely what that ambition requires in practice.   𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘕𝘈𝘔 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺? 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦.   #EndocrineDisruptors #OECD #NAMs