Nina Cohen, PhDScience Policy OfficerResearch & Toxicology Department

Horizon 2020Advancing Safety Science and HealthResearch with Modern, Non-Animal

Tools

About HSI• One of the world’s largest animal protection organisations

• 11+ million members globally• Programmes in Australia, Canada, China, Europe, India, Latin America,

New Zealand, United States & beyond

• EU activities• Shark-finning• Seal products trade• Animal experiments (directive, cosmetics, REACH, biocides, Horizon

2020)

• Approach• Science-driven• Representing views of supporters during policy-making & legislative

processes

Replacing Animal Tests » Policy DriversDECISION NO. 1982/2006/EC ON FP7

• “Research activities should … reducethe use of animals with a view ultimately to replacing animal use.”

REACH – ARTICLE 1.1 • “The purpose of this Regulation is to

ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances, …”

COSMETICS DIRECTIVE – ANIMAL TEST & MARKETING BANS

Replacing Animal Tests » Scientific DriversPOOR PREDICTORS OF HUMAN SITUATION

• Species differences in genetics, biochemistry, etc. do matter• 9 out of 10 animal-tested drugs fail because they’re

not effective in humans or present safety concerns

POOR EFFICIENCY• Animal tests can take months or years per chemical• Not suitable for testing tens of thousands of chemicals,

mixtures, etc.

LIMITED BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING• Animal tests tell us little about how chemicals cause toxic

effects

Horizon 2020 » Commission ProposalsKEY OBJECTIVES

• Tackling societal challenges• Creating industrial leadership• Promoting scientific excellence

SOCIETAL CHALLENGES INCLUDE…• Alternatives to animals for safety & effectiveness testing • Greater use of non-animal tools (e.g., “-omics, human cell

systems) in health research to better understand human disease

“21st Century Toxicology” (Tox21) Approach

“… envisions a not-so-distant future in which virtually all routine toxicity testing would be conducted in human cells or cell line in vitro by evaluating cellular responses in a suite of toxicity pathways using high-throughput tests, that could be implemented with robotic assistance.”

—US National Research Council

“Animal testing won’t disappear overnight, but the agencies’ work signals the beginning of the end.”

—Dr Elias Zerhouni, Former Director, US National Institutes of Health

“21st Century Toxicology” (Tox21) Approach

Horizon 2020 » HSI Priority #1EUROPEAN “TOX21” FLAGSHIP RESEARCH INITIATIVE*• Uncover how chemicals disrupt normal processes in the human

body at the level of genes, proteins & cells (“pathways of toxicity”)

• Develop human-relevant cell systems to test for disruptions• Develop computer models to relate cell test results to real world

KEY FEATURES• “Top-down” strategic focus• Public-private partnership with industry• International collaboration

* AS SUGGESTED BY THE EU FP7 COORDINATION PROJECT AXLR8

Horizon 2020 » HSI Priority #2BETTER TOOLS FOR HEALTH RESEARCH• Prioritise research to define human “disease pathways”• Increase proportion of EU health research funding

dedicated to human biology-based (non-animal) tools

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS• More robust ethical & scientific merit review processes for EU-

funded animal experiments• Substantiation of claims regarding human-relevance of animal

models• Retrospective assessment of all EU-funded vertebrate

experiments expected to cause more than “moderate” suffering, regardless of species

Horizon 2020 » Next StepsTIMETABLE & MILESTONES• 4 May – Draft report sent for translation• 15 May – ‘Human Toxome Project’ event hosted by

Vittorio Prodi• 30-31 May – Consideration of draft report• 7 June – Deadline for tabling amendments• 11 July – 1st consideration of amendments• 24 September – 2nd consideration of amendments• 8-9 October – ITRE committee vote

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