Animal testing can be cut thanks to local researchers

Animal testing can be reduced by 60 percent on average due to alternative testing methods developed by Taiwanese researchers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said yesterday.

Animal testing is often necessary to ensure the safety of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and cosmetics before they can hit the market, but local researchers have developed 102 alternative testing methods that can reduce the need for testing on animals, Wu told a news conference held on World Day for Laboratory Animals.

“Normally, if you rely too much on animal testing then you harm animals, and if you do not test on animals, you risk producing products that are unsafe for people,” he said.

The situation motivated the government in October 2022 to establish an inter-ministerial platform committed to tackling the issue, he said.

“We were committed to achieving the “three Rs” of animal testing: replace, reduce and refine,” he said, adding that he felt that Taiwan had an obligation as an advanced country to move in this direction.

Seven ministries and other government agencies are participating in the platform: the NSTC, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry

of Education, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Academia Sinica, he said.

Through the platform, the agencies seek to leverage Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence, and the ministries’ knowledge and experiences in the fields of biomedicine, agriculture and animal science, he said.

In addition to protecting animals, the platform’s focus is on establishing more efficient methods for biomedical research and drug development.

The alternative-testing project is expected to be extended until 2027 and would receive annual funding of NT$200 million (US$6.15 million), NSTC Deputy Minister Chern Yi-juang (陳儀莊) said.

In one example of an alternative testing method developed under the project, a team found a way to use biomimetic skin cells to replace rabbits when testing irritants and corrosive materials, National Laboratory Animal Center Director Chin Hsien-ching (秦咸靜) said.

Alternative testing was also shown to be faster, she said, citing a four-day test cycle for assessing the toxicity and risks of pesticides.

National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine professor Wang Ying-jan (王應然) said his team of researchers has partnered with 25 companies to process research data, enabling them to avoid wasting resources and repetition during experimentation.