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Physicians Committee Collaborates with Computational Modeling Company Insilica to Replace Animals in Regulatory Testing
Millions of animals are used every year to test chemicals for regulatory requirements, including chemicals that have already been shown to be safe. Thankfully, the company Insilica is leading the way for computational models to predict chemical-induced human health outcomes without the use of animals. The Physicians Committee welcomed the company as a sponsor of our nonanimal research training event, the 2026 Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science.
The sheer volume of historical chemical test data causes unnecessary duplication of animal experiments, as repeating a study is often easier than manually searching past research.
Artificial intelligence can help find the needle in the haystack, sifting through the test results and government records in minutes instead of years, getting data to scientists faster and more efficiently than ever. AI algorithms have the additional advantage of finding patterns and predicting responses more accurately than using animals.
One notable tool for this purpose is Insilica’s ToxIndex. Launched in March 2026, it aggregates all known test data—including more than 100 billion data points, nearly 115 million regulatory documents, and open-access scientific literature—and integrates more than 150 computational tools. Scientists can use ToxIndex for free to obtain required regulatory data without the need for animal experiments.
Replacing animals in regulatory testing requires more than just building tools for industry. Insilica works directly with global regulatory authorities to provide technical training sessions to help regulators feel confident reviewing and accepting nonanimal submissions. During an online training for regulators through the Physicians Committee’s NAM Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) program, Dr. Tom Luechtefeld, founder and CEO of Insilica, led a walkthrough of Insilica’s AI workflow to generate an entire chemical assessment by automating database searches and compiling the outcomes of various online chemical assessment tools into a meaningful report, all without performing a single additional experiment. Training the regulators that approve chemical submissions helps clear the path for widespread industry adoption of nonanimal methods.
The Physicians Committee works with leaders in the field like Insilica to train and educate regulators and scientists on human-based methods to replace animal experiments. Through our NURA, ERA21, and Summer Immersion programs, we’re helping accelerate the shift to animal-free science.
