Overview

• The FDA announced plans to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibody therapies and other drugs, focusing on alternative testing methods.
• New approaches include AI-based toxicity models, lab-grown organoids, and organ-on-a-chip technology to better predict human drug responses.
• A pilot program will allow select developers to use primarily non-animal testing strategies, with updated guidelines incentivizing their adoption.
• The initiative aims to accelerate drug development, improve safety, reduce research costs, and address ethical concerns over animal experimentation.
• Financial markets reacted sharply, with stocks of companies providing alternative testing technologies surging, while those reliant on animal testing, like Charles River Laboratories, saw declines.