The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it is expanding its list of approved alternatives to animal testing for the first time in five years. The agency added 13 new “New Approach Methods” (NAMs) to its official roster and opened a streamlined pipeline for outside researchers to submit their own non-animal testing technologies.
The twin policy moves aim to advance a broader agency target to eliminate all mammalian animal testing by the year 2035. According to the EPA, these newer scientific alternatives rely on human cell models and advanced computer-based systems instead of traditional testing on vertebrate mammals like rats, mice, rabbits, and dogs.
The 13 newly approved tools include a method to check eye hazards using reconstructed human cells, a 3D human tissue model to evaluate skin damage from light exposure, and data combinations designed to identify skin allergies and chemical irritation levels.
Industries will use these methods to comply with chemical regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
“When the Trump Administration makes a commitment, we deliver. With today’s announcement, we’re accelerating the shift to modern, gold standard science – without the use of animal testing – by using new, innovative methods to review chemicals,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “By broadening high-quality alternatives and inviting strong new candidates, we can deliver faster, more protective decisions while reducing animal testing.”
The EPA also detailed a new two-step nomination pipeline allowing companies, non-governmental organizations, and academic researchers to submit their own testing alternatives via email. Under the new process, innovators email a short description of their method to the agency. If the EPA pursues the submission, the applicant completes an in-depth form for review by agency scientists, who will evaluate the technology for reliability, transparency, and reproducibility.
This update marks the first change to the EPA’s approved alternatives list since 2021. The agency noted that it previously initiated a lab animal adoption program in April 2025 at its North Carolina research facility, and substituted traditional testing during recent cancer evaluations for dibutyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, which officials estimated spared roughly 1,600 rats and mice from lab experiments.
READ: Post “Beaglegate” Rep. Steube Introduces Legislation To Cut Funding For NIH Testing On Dogs
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