Advancing the 3Rs: Clive Roper’s Highlights from Day 2 & 3 of WC13
- Clive Roper
- Sep 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 7
The 13th World Congress on Alternatives and the Use of Animals in the Life Sciences (WC13) is in full swing in Rio de Janeiro. Over the past two days, I have been actively engaged in sessions and discussions that showcase both the breadth of the field and dedication to advancing new approach methodologies (NAMs).
September 2, 2025 – A Vision for Animal-Free Science
Tuesday opened with an inspiring keynote from Gavin Maxwell (Unilever), who presented a compelling vision of an animal-free future in safety testing. With seven parallel sessions running, I selected a rich cross-section of talks, including:
OECD Guidance Document 34 – updates on the validation of test methods and defined approaches.
Confidence in In Vitro Alternatives – addressing standards for rigor and reproducibility.
Empowering the Next Generation of Researchers for NGRA – a session featuring engaging presentations by ESTIV colleagues Luiz Ladeira and Mohamed Fathi Abdallah, highlighting ESTIV’s ongoing contributions.
The standout lecture of the day came from Gladys Ouedraogo of L’Oréal, presenting the recently published paper “A call to action: advancing new approach methodologies (NAMs) in regulatory toxicology through a unified framework for validation and acceptance.”
As part of my ESTIV responsibilities, I also reviewed and scored posters and oral presentations for the society’s Best Oral and Poster Prizes—work that plays a vital role in recognizing and elevating innovative research.
The day concluded on a more personal note with dinner with colleagues at the Copacabana Hotel, a chance to reconnect with peers and reflect on the day’s insights.
September 3, 2025 – Exploring New Frontiers
Wednesday’s sessions continued to push boundaries in advancing alternatives to animal testing. I attended presentations across diverse themes, including:
Interdisciplinary, Human-Relevant Approaches in Animal Health
Overcoming Barriers to Regulatory Uptake of NGRA
Frameworks for Non-Animal Safety Assessment of Pharmaceuticals
Advances in Bioprinting Skin Tissue Models for Toxicology and Drug Evaluation
Animal Replacement Technologies in Australia – showcasing innovation, humanity, and sustainability.
Among the many high-quality talks, Tom Kostrzewaki (CN-Bio) delivered a standout presentation on organ-on-chip models and introduced the 3Rs Collaborative’s DILI multi-site test, underscoring the potential of cutting-edge tools to improve human-relevant science.
I was also able to score talks for the ESTIV Best Oral Award, a rewarding but challenging task given the diversity of topics and impressive quality of research.
The day closed with the much-anticipated Gala Dinner at Golfe Olímpico, offering another opportunity to network with international colleagues and celebrate the shared progress being made.
As WC13 enters its final day tomorrow, it’s hard to believe how quickly the week has flown by. It has truly been an amazing time in Rio. More to come on my meeting reflections.
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