On February 25 and 26, 2024, the official kick-off meeting of the STEP4NAMs project took place in Stuttgart. Our international consortium of ten partners gathered to set the course for promoting New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in drug and medical device development.
NAMs – including Organ-on-Chip, organoids, digital twins, and bioprinting – offer innovative, animal-free testing methods. However, regulatory barriers, insufficient infrastructure, and knowledge gaps hinder their widespread application. STEP4NAMs aims to change that.
During the meeting, key objectives were defined:
- Developing a joint strategy to promote NAMs
- Conducting four pilot studies to validate best practices
- Creating a NAM validation handbook for researchers and developers
- Establishing a training and support program for stakeholders
We look forward to the next steps and to actively driving the adoption of NAMs forward!