All Things Policy Animal Testing: Time for Change
Aug 18, 2025
Surat Parvatam, a Senior Strategist at the Humane World for Animals with a PhD in cell biology, dives into the transformative shift away from animal testing. He discusses cutting-edge alternatives like organ-on-chip technologies and AI-driven models, emphasizing their potential for accuracy and ethics. The conversation also highlights India’s chance to lead in this global movement, pushing for innovative practices in the pharmaceutical sector. With a focus on policy changes and societal implications, Parvatam outlines a future where human-centric research takes precedence.
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Regulatory Momentum Globally
- The US NIH now requires non-animal components in research proposals and published a roadmap to phase out animal studies.
- Regulators worldwide (US, Europe, India) are moving toward accepting human-relevant methods.
India's Growing Yet Fragmented Capacity
- India has grown from ~15 labs in 2019 to over 80 working on human-relevant methods, but capacity gaps remain.
- Barriers include training, cell-sourcing, imported supply chains and lack of standardized protocols for regulators.
Localize The Supply Chain
- Build indigenous supply chains and biobanks to cut costs and widen access to organoids and organs-on-chips.
- Leverage Make in India to localize reagents, devices and cell repositories and reduce import dependence.