Application of evidence-based methods to construct mechanism-driven chemical assessment frameworks

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Risk Assessment
• Evidence-Based Science

Background:

• A workshop co-organized by the Evidence-based Toxicology Collaboration and EFSA focused on applying evidence-based methods to chemical assessment frameworks.
• The primary goal was to integrate systematic review with mechanistic evidence evaluation for chemical risk assessment.

Discussion:

• Discussions centered on assessing certainty in adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), literature-based AOP development, and integrating AOPs with non-animal evidence into decision frameworks.
• Methodological challenges were identified, guiding workshop recommendations for advancing AOPs and chemical safety assessments.

Key Insights:

• Recommendations include aligning AOP development with systematic review methodology and improving evidence mapping and text mining tools.
• A fundamental shift in chemical risk and uncertainty assessment is proposed, utilizing AOPs and new approach methodologies (NAMs).

Outlook:

• Evidence-based approaches offer rigor and transparency, crucial for building stakeholder trust in implementing NAMs and AOPs in chemical risk assessment.
• Continued development in methodology is essential for the effective application of AOPs in regulatory science.