Awareness and perspectives of translational assessment tools in preclinical research: insights from a survey

Insufficient translation of preclinical findings into clinical benefit continues to undermine drug development, contributing to high attrition rates and avoidable ethical and economic costs. In response, a range of tools and frameworks has emerged to support structured evaluation of translational relevance, including assessment of animal model performance, study validity, bias and harm-benefit considerations. How widely these approaches are recognised and applied in practice remains poorly understood. To address this gap, the Biomedical Research for the 21st Century (BioMed21) Collaboration conducted an exploratory online survey targeting key preclinical research stakeholders across different countries and professional backgrounds. The survey collected responses from 105 self-selected participants across academia, industry, governmental and public institutions, and other organisations, focusing on awareness of existing tools, perceived value and obstacles to their implementation. While respondents overwhelmingly acknowledged the importance of structured assessment approaches, familiarity with the available tools and frameworks was limited, with more than one-third-reporting no prior exposure. Perceived barriers to broader adoption included insufficient standardisation and reproducibility, limited availability of robust comparative human data, uncertainty regarding the validity of assessment outcomes and reliance on subjective expert opinion. Despite these challenges, participants recognised the potential of such tools to support more informed model selection, improve preclinical decision-making and increase research robustness. Relevance to human biology emerged as a particularly important criterion for evaluating translational value. Building on these findings, we discuss potential future strategies to improve accessibility and application of translational assessment frameworks, and support more human-relevant biomedical research.