Beyond Animal Testing Index: Benchmarking tool for a world beyond animal testing
Cyrille Krul1, Annick De Moor2, Koen Stegmeijer2
1University of Applied Sciences, HU, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
ALTEX
|August 10, 2023
Summary
The Beyond Animal Testing Index (BATI) is a new tool to benchmark research institutes on their progress toward animal-free innovation. It helps organizations learn, improve strategies, and identify gaps in 3R technologies.
Area of Science:
- * Scientific innovation and research methodologies.
- * Toxicology and predictive modeling.
- * Animal welfare and ethical research practices.
Background:
- * The definition of 'replacement' in scientific research has evolved from solely substituting animal use to embracing advanced, animal-free predictive models.
- * Transitioning to animal-free innovation is a key political objective globally, particularly within the European Union.
- * Existing benchmarking tools, like the Access to Medicine Index, provide a model for evaluating progress in complex scientific and societal transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To introduce the Beyond Animal Testing Index (BATI) as a novel benchmarking instrument for research institutions.
- * To assess the BATI's utility in evaluating contributions to animal-free innovation.
- * To stimulate institutional learning and strategic improvement in adopting 3R (Replace, Reduce, Refine) technologies.
Main Methods:
- * Development of the Beyond Animal Testing Index (BATI), modeled after the Access to Medicine Index.
- * Field-testing a prototype of the BATI with five Dutch academic institutions (three medical centers, two universities) between 2020-2021.
- * Analysis of institutional activities and contributions across five distinct domains related to animal-free innovation.
Main Results:
- * The BATI prototype field test confirmed its usability and effectiveness as a benchmarking tool.
- * Participating institutions reported that the BATI served as a significant internal and external motivator for sharing knowledge and enhancing strategies for animal-free innovation.
- * The BATI successfully identified specific areas needing improvement in the development and implementation of 3R technologies.
Conclusions:
- * The Beyond Animal Testing Index (BATI) is a validated and effective tool for benchmarking research institutes' progress in animal-free innovation.
- * BATI Version 1.0 is ready for broader application in assessing and promoting the transition to animal-free research.
- * The index demonstrates potential as a policy monitoring instrument to track the effectiveness of initiatives supporting 3R technologies.
