Testing of new medicines - new method claims to reduce the number of adverse drug reactions

The developers of this new method of testing claim that it has an 82% accuracy rate for predicting acute toxicity in humans compared to a 65% accuracy rate in mice. Rather than relying on lab mice, their new technique tests culture-grown human cells in mollusks. The method has been hailed by Professor Jean-Francois Narbonne of the University of Bordeaux as a step towards eradicating all animal testing. He said in an interview with EPHA member Comité Scientifique Pro Anima that ’The importance of the work demands a more substantial programme’, highlighting that more funding was needed to further develop reasearch into alternative testing methods.

Professor Narbonne and ProAnima were both present at the World Congress of the European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods in Rome in September 2009 where the method was presented and discussed.

For further information: Pro Anima website [http://ecvam.jrc.it/]