Post by mo:re

The cosmetics industry figured out animal-free testing before anyone else. In 1998, the UK banned animal testing for cosmetic products. A complete ban was effective throughout the EU from 2013. The transition worked because validated non-animal alternatives were already available and scientifically credible. 3D cell skin models became the standard. They are included in validated OECD tests and accepted for endpoints like skin irritation, corrosion, and sensitisation. Now the UK government has published its national strategy to phase out animal testing across science. In the document, cosmetics are explicitly cited as the reference case. The sector that got there first. Drug discovery is a more complex challenge. Many endpoints require systemic responses that organoids still cannot replicate today. Regulatory validation frameworks are still being defined. Standardization is lagging behind science. The first step is to keep the context of use in mind at all times. Identify the specific endpoints where in vitro models are not just equivalent to animal models, but complementary or more informative. Of course, of the many challenges we need to solve, we can start with standardization, and that implies automation.