January 23, 2026
Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined the ranks of its fellow executive branch agencies and announced its revived plans to phase out and, eventually eliminate, animal testing.
In 2019, then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a directive announcing that the agency would reduce mammal testing and funding by 30% by 2025, and eliminate it altogether by 2035. After the change in Administration in 2021, the agency reversed course on this commitment. In December 2021, the Biden-Regan EPA released an updated New Approach Methods Work Plan, which excluded the 2025 and 2035 deadlines. In the public discourse of the years that followed, the agency reneged on its time commitment to reduce, and eventually eliminate the use of mammals in research.
In yesterday’s announcement, current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin committed the agency to getting “back on track” to scientific advancements in alternatives to animal testing. The announcement states that the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) will prioritize the development of “high quality alternatives to reduce testing on vertebrate mammals, like rabbits, mice, rats, and dogs . . .”
EPA says it will work in targeted ways to reduce animal testing conducted to meet statutorily mandated requirements for chemicals testing and will collaborate with other agencies, researchers, and advocates to develop and validate alternative test methods.
The agency states that, in April 2025, it implemented for the first time a lab animal adoption program at its Research Triangle Park, North Carolina research laboratory. It says several animals, including two rabbits, formerly used for research were adopted by staff. The agency’s Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES) will continue to work toward rehoming its laboratory animals. EPA states that, “the number of rodents in OASES’ care has fallen from 466 rodents in April of 2025 to just 41 as of mid-November,” though it does not confirm why or how.
EPA lists additional examples of its advancements to move away from animal testing, including an alternative, non-animal framework for testing skin irritation and corrosion hazards in chemicals as the agency’s preference over testing in live rabbits. This framework helps the agency meet its mandate under the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act amendments, which require the agency to promote a transition away from animal testing.
Alternatives to animal testing, called New Approach Methods (NAMs), can be any of a number of technologies, methodologies, or approaches used for chemicals testing and risk assessments in place of vertebrate animal testing. NAMs can include in vitro tests, in chemico assays, and in silico models. Computer modeling and artificial intelligence are also promising alternatives that are increasingly being used in research and NAMs development.
To meet the reinstated 2035 goal of eliminating animal testing, EPA’s OCSPP will take a three-pronged approach:
- Identify NAMs currently available as alternatives to animal testing.
- Review agency guidance and regulations for flexibility in meeting data requirements for toxicity assessments and issuing waivers to reduce animal testing requirements.
- Encourage researchers and data providers to use NAMs and apply for waivers whenever possible.
As the translatability and relevance of animal models to humans comes under increasing scrutiny, NAMs offer a more cost- and time-efficient and human-relevant alternative to continued reliance on animal testing. The EPA’s commitment to transition from animal tests to NAMs is promising in supporting scientific advancement in this area. However, the agency’s references to relying on waivers to reduce animal testing may signal more lax regulatory oversight and greater ease for regulated parties to obtain chemical approvals. How the EPA implements yesterday’s announced plan will reveal the true outcomes of its commitment.