Review of TPI 2018- 2020
TPI is a programme that seeks to accelerate the transition to innovation without the use of animals by encouraging alternatives and innovations. The partners Health~Holland, NFU, RIVM, SGF, the Dutch Society for the Replacement of Animal Testing, VSNU, ZonMw and the national government – with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) as director and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and NCad as observers – are cooperating on the ambition of ‘the Netherlands as a frontrunner in the international transition of innovation without the use of animals’. The mission is to develop alternative models and tests that better predict the effectiveness and safety of medicines and substances, thus making animal procedures increasingly redundant. In 2018, the TPI partners set up a guiding Core Group and a coordinating Transition Group for TPI. Directors and staff of the Ministries involved hold interdepartmental consultations, referred to as (D)IWAD, on alternatives for animal procedures. In the present selfevaluation, the cooperating TPI partners answer the question of whether they have fulfilled their promises made in 2018, whether the transition has been accelerated, what its current situation is, and whether the Netherlands is an international frontrunner. Based on this, conclusions and recommendations are given on what is needed to continue the TPI programme.