Image by Miroslaw Miras from Pixabay

We are so pleased to share the good news about an exciting tool to support researchers in moving away from animal models and toward more modern and human-centric approaches. We note that it is fuelled by the U.S. government’s plans to phase out animal testing.

It’s time Canada followed suit and stopped requiring new drugs to be tested on animals. That requirement no longer exists in the U.S. Once our new government is settled, we encourage you to write to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, and your local MP asking them to fund the pioneering Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM) once located at the University of Windsor but forced to close its doors do to lack of funding.

You can find your Member of Parliament at this site: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en.

Certara writes:

“Following the FDA’s announcement to phase out animal testing for monoclonal antibodies and other drugs, preclinical development is entering a new era. A fundamental change in drug development has started and the best prepared companies must ‘future-proof’ their portfolios to gain competitive advantage from timeline acceleration, cost reduction and more predictive evidence generation via biosimulation. AI- and in vitro-based toxicity models, predictive biosimulation, and other new approach methodologies (NAMs) will play a critical role. With thousands of mAbs currently in preclinical development, drug developers face major opportunities—and regulatory shifts—as they move beyond traditional animal studies. Certara’s Non-Animal Navigator™ solution helps companies adapt by selecting and optimizing the best-fit NAM strategies. We do this by first conducting a gap analysis. Based on this assessment, we then tailor a bespoke software and services solution for the particular asset. Using this approach helps our clients accelerate development, manage costs, and ensure regulatory alignment.”

From their GlobeNewswire press release:

RADNOR, Pa., April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT), a global leader in model-informed drug development, today announced the launch of its Non-Animal Navigator™ solution designed to help biopharmaceutical companies lead the transition ignited by the FDA’s Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies. The Roadmap marks a pivotal moment in drug development. Companies that act now can future-proof their portfolios, gaining competitive advantage through faster timelines, lower costs, and stronger predictive evidence.

Globally, there are thousands of monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) currently in the preclinical phase of development¹ across a broad range of therapeutic areas. Monoclonal antibodies are a key area in efforts to reduce animal testing, as biosimulation models often predict human outcomes as well as or better than, traditional animal studies. For over two decades, Certara has partnered with biopharmaceutical sponsors and regulatory agencies to integrate predictive, mechanistic models into the development and regulatory evaluation of biologics, including monoclonal antibodies.

“The FDA announcement and roadmap pave the way for more model-informed drug development approaches that are predictive, efficient, and ethical,” said William F. Feehery, Chief Executive Officer. “It is part of a growing industry adoption trend to use scientifically robust new approach methodologies (NAMs) like AI-enabled biosimulation to improve strategic decision-making and success rates at every phase of drug development.”

“Navigating this paradigm shift requires deep regulatory insight, cross-functional expertise and modeling and simulation technology,” said Patrick Smith, Senior Vice President of Translational Medicine. “Clients have begun reaching out about how to best lead their organizations through this major regulatory and scientific inflection point.”

Based on Certara’s extensive experience working with FDA, EMA, and other major health authorities, the Non-Animal Navigator is a flexible solution that ensures each client’s development program is compliant, agile, and future ready. It offers clients:

• Strategic Regulatory Advice – Design preclinical programs that future-proof your INDs and include the appropriate use of NAMs while ensuring regulatory alignment.
• Integrated Preclinical Development Plan – Build an integrated, weight-of-evidence strategy combining in vitro, in vivo, real-world evidence, and biosimulation data with expert toxicology input.
• Optimized AI Enabled Modeling Toolkit – Accelerate timelines with access to the most widely adopted platform for PBPK modeling, the Simcyp Simulator^®, and ready-to-use mAb Quantitative Systems Pharmacology models.

About Certara

Certara accelerates medicines using biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Its clients include more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 70 countries. Learn more at certara.com.

Certara Contact:
Sheila Rocchio
sheila.rocchio@certara.com  

Media Contact:
Alyssa Horowitz
certara@pancomm.com

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1} Based on global pipeline analysis from GlobalData’sⓒ Intelligence Center