The EPA scrap plans to phase out animal testing

Image courtesy of Lobund-Wistar, Wikimedia Commons

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pulling back from its controversial decision to phase out animal testing by 2035, Science reports. However, removing strict deadlines does not imply that the EPA has abandoned the plan altogether. On the contrary, the EPA aims to pursue the goal with no timeline pressure, ensuring that alternative technologies are safe and not rushed. 

In 2019, Andrew Wheeler, a former EPA Administrator, announced an ambitious plan to reduce animal toxicology testing by 30% before 2025 and completely remove the practice by 2035. However, imposing a strict deadline sparked controversies, causing some to praise the EPA for its commitment, while others claimed that the industry was not ready for such a huge step. The EPA still uses approximately 20,000 mammals a year for testing chemicals, such as potential pollutants and pesticides. At the time of the announcement, the EPA, as the first federal agency to impose deadline-specific guidelines, issued $4.25 million in additional funding to five US universities to research and develop non-animal testing models to “reduce, refine, and replace vertebrate animal testing”.

The scepticism towards the decision was echoed in the open letter signed by 38 health, environmental, and justice organizations, criticising the actions as premature. As of right now, the alternative technologies need more attention to be trusted in determining the safety of the chemicals. Determining the hazardous nature of a chemical often includes testing the response of the immune system as a whole. For example, in the past animal models were key to determining relationships between learning disabilities and lead poisoning. 

Jenniffer Sass, a senior scientist at the Nature Resources Defence Council, an opponent of the 2019 projects, said that such a step could result in potentially dangerous chemicals getting out into the environment. Another concern focused on the need for transparency in developing alternative methods, which could be jeopardised by artificial deadlines. 

What does the step back mean for the future of animal testing in toxicology?

Since the 2007 release of the National Report on Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century, the EPA has been committed to making progress on the reduction of animal testing. The efforts focused on gathering crucial data for decision-making, avoiding wasting time and resources and avoiding unnecessary animal tests. A huge part of the transition is developing trusted, alternative testing methods. For example: organ-on-chip technology, allows simulation of the mechanisms and responses of the entire organs, such as the lungs, kidneys, and even the brain. Hope also lies in other alternatives, including in-vitro methods, cellular samples, algorithmic analysis or 3D printing. In the future, alternative computational models could more accurately predict the effects of potentially toxic compounds than animal models. 

Although we still rely on animal testing to ensure the protection of human health and environmental safety, there is a bright future ahead for non-animal models. Following recent breakthroughs in organ-on-chip development, the technologies should be ready to use in the near future. In cases where so much is on the line, taking a step back and minimising the pressure of deadlines could prevent unnecessary potential tragedies due to rushed testing protocols. The scientific community agrees that changes in animal testing need to happen, not only in the EPA but also across other federal agencies.