| The Alternatives: Replace, Refine, Reduce |
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As science evolves, new avenues are opened up for exploration. Some of these can mean using fewer animals in new ways or even completely replacing the use of animals in some of the stages of medicines development. Alternatives are not always easy: An alternative method may be developed for a specific use in a certain domain. It does not necessarily mean that a method developed for a chemical could be applied for a biological product. In addition after scientific validation, alternatives have to be accepted by the regulatory authorities which register the product. Recent examples of alternative methods, in line with the application of the 3Rs principle (refine, reduce, replace) include: computer technologies in early discovery process, imaging techniques (PET scan, MRI, X-Ray), in vitro liver cells to assess elimination, use of synthetic proteins, use of blood cells for pyrogenicity testing, etc. A number of data bases of alternative approaches have contributed to refining research protocols. Some examples include:
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