U.S. HHS accelerates the shift from animal testing to human-based research

HHS announced more than 20 agency actions. NIH will invest over $88 million in human-based research infrastructure and offer more than $7 million in challenge awards, while a new lab integrates standardized human organoids, robotics, AI and advanced data. FDA issued a direct final rule replacing some animal-testing references with broader nonclinical language, creating a regulatory path for validated alternatives in safety and efficacy evaluation.