Dosing in animal models of neuroscience

The British Pharmacological Society and British Neuroscience Association are hosting a joint online conference to explore challenges and 3Rs opportunities in preclinical dosing practices within neuropharmacology research.

Rationally designed dosing regimens that are grounded in pharmacokinetics and evidence-based strategies can improve the translatability of studies, generate more meaningful data, reduce the number of animals used and refine welfare. Poorly justified dose selection and administration routes, for example chosen due to historical precedent, can significantly impact both animal welfare and scientific validity. Excessively high doses may cause unnecessary suffering and introduce stress that confounds results. Doses that are too low can lead to inconclusive outcomes meaning studies may need to be repeated. Similarly, suboptimal administration routes that are not biologically relevant may cause additional distress and necessitate additional studies.

Event information

This event is aimed at neuroscientists and pharmacologists working in preclinical research in academia and industry. The programme includes:

• Expert talks on dosing, pharmacokinetics and translational implications.
• Panel discussion and audience Q&A.
• Break out groups for community discussions.

Objectives

• Raise awareness about the challenges of drug testing in preclinical neuroscience.
• Encourage the neuroscience and pharmacology communities to challenge historical norms.
• Facilitate dialogue on next steps for the research community.

Related work from the NC3Rs

Our Toxicology and Regulatory Sciences team has long-standing projects focused on dose selection in regulatory toxicity testing. 

• Our guidance on exposure science and dose selection aims to make data more useful for decision-making purposes, while refining and reducing animal use and supporting the uptake of new approach methodologies.
• This includes our programme of work on dose selection in developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) studies including a publication on dose level setting co-authored by Dr Fiona Sewell (Head of Toxicology) .
• Additional resources on planning pharmacological interventions and dose selection can be found in our Toxicology and Regulatory Sciences bibliography.