Tox News: April 2026

Mon 27 May – Wed 29 May, Solihull, United Kingdom

If you are attending the British Toxicology Society (BTS) Annual Congress in Solihull, please come and say hello at booth #3. 

Our contributions to this year’s programme include an oral presentation on the Two Species project, showcasing evidence supporting the use of a single species in chronic studies for small molecule pharmaceuticals. We will also be presenting findings from our recent survey on 3Rs regulatory ecotoxicology practices in contract research organisations, as well as our ongoing efforts to promote the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for endocrine disruption assessment and fish acute toxicity testing. 

Dr Fiona Sewell will chair a symposium on new approaches to hazard identification and Dr Natalie Burden a symposium on next generation risk assessment. Natalie is also delivering the workshop Science Shaping Regulation – Towards Adoption of Animal Free, Exposure Driven Approaches in UK Chemical Regulation for Assuring Environmental Safety, which will take place on Wednesday 29 May, after the BTS congress.

Sun 17 May – Thu 21 May, Maastricht, Netherlands 

If you are attending the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe 36th Annual Meeting in Maastricht, please come and say hello at booth #68 in the exhibition space. 

Across the conference, Natalie and Dr Amy Marriott will contribute to and shape discussions, building on our work in advancing the 3Rs in chemical and environmental safety assessment. By chairing sessions, delivering talks and presenting posters, they will highlight updates from our ecotoxicology programme, including: advancing confidence in the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for endocrine disruption assessment and fish acute toxicity testing; findings from a recent survey of 3Rs regulatory ecotoxicology practices in contract research organisations; and insights from our recent collaborative cross sector initiatives, such as the Innovate EcoSafetySummit and the PREMIER project. Natalie will also present and participate in panel discussions on the implementation of animal free approaches within European and UK policy frameworks.

Since our last newsletter, we have engaged in a range of national and international events and discussions, sharing evidence from our work to inform regulatory and scientific thinking: 

• European Medicines Agency (EMA): Fiona presented new evidence from the latest phase of our Two Species project at the EMA 3Rs working party annual stakeholder meeting, highlighting opportunities to adopt a single-species approach in chronic toxicity studies for small molecule pharmaceuticals.
• Society of Toxicology 65th Annual Meeting: Members of the team delivered an interactive session on Re-evaluating adversity and the maximum tolerated dose in the modern regulatory environment and presented work on opportunities to refine humane endpoints. Poster presentations highlighted progress from our Two Species project and our work to refine acute toxicity testing, while the NC3Rs exhibitor booth provided a great opportunity to engage with the toxicology community.
• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): Amy participated in the ECHA’s Expert Workshop in Helsinki on OECD Test Guidelines 236 and 249, contributing to discussions on alternative methods for acute fish toxicity. These discussions support international efforts to promote scientifically robust nonanimal methods for environmental risk assessment and inform ongoing guideline development. Linked to this, Natalie was also invited to contribute her expertise at a workshop hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), focused on mainstreaming the fish invitrome framework to predict chemical toxicity in fish without the use of animals. 

Wednesday 22 April and Wednesday 6 May, 14.00 –⁠ 15.15 (BST)  

Our Technology Partn3Ring webinar series showcases 3Rs technologies to identify new partners for further development, qualification and use. We are launching a fortnightly series on NAMs – replacement technologies for use in assessing chemical or drug toxicity – reflecting the high interest from researchers and technology developers in this area. The first two sessions are open for registration, covering topics ranging from human cell-based, on-chip and stem cell models to invertebrate models as partial replacements for drug efficacy and drug/consumer product toxicity testing.

Sponsored by GSK, the NC3Rs international 3Rs Prize recognises both emerging and established models, tools and technologies to advance the 3Rs. We welcome applications from around the world, across academia and industry and spanning the medical, biological and veterinary sciences. Over its 21-year history, the 3Rs Prize has recognised pioneering scientific advances that have gone on to have major impacts on animal use. The winner receives a £28k prize grant and a £2k personal award. 

Applications close: Monday 4 May.  

Thursday 14 May, 12.30 – 13.30 (BST)  

Training animals to cooperate with procedures is an effective way to reduce stress in a laboratory environment and improve animal welfare. Our upcoming welfare webinar will focus on practical guidance for habituating dogs, minipigs and non-human primates to procedures commonly used in regulatory safety assessment, including inhalation safety studies, blood sampling and ophthalmological exams. 

This event has been rescheduled from an earlier date ⁠– if you registered previously, you will receive an email inviting you to re-register.

The BTS Skills Gap Initiative provides targeted training modules designed to address recognised gaps in scientific and regulatory expertise within toxicology and safety assessment, supporting improved decision‑making and implementation of the 3Rs. 

Registration for the following modules with the BTS Skills Gap Initiative is now open: 

• Core Module 6: Carcinogenicity (May 2026).
• Core Module 3 (Repeat): Genetic toxicology (July 2026).

Tuesday 16 June, 9.00 – 18.00, Stevenage, UK

Hosted by Cambridge Alliance on Medicines Safety (CAMS) and the British Toxicology Society (BTS), this year’s DiscoTox meeting will focus on Mechanistic and discovery toxicology in the era of AI and NAMs. 

This free, interactive event will explore how in vitro and in silico approaches are being used to de-risk new drugs and emerging modalities. 

The agenda is currently in development, and the organisers are seeking suggestions for speakers and discussion topics.