The article by Thomas Hartung discusses the role of animal models in drug development, highlighting both their contributions and limitations. Animals like mice and rats have been crucial in understanding diseases and testing potential treatments before human trials, but overreliance on animal models can lead to misleading results and clinical trial failures. The author explains how animal research is used in drug development, its benefits, and limitations, and explores more accurate and humane techniques, such as human-cell-based and computer models, that could improve the process. Key points include: - Animal models have historically been essential in drug development, but their limitations, such as species differences and poor reproducibility, have led to many clinical trial failures. - Ethical concerns and resource-intensive nature of animal testing have driven the development of alternatives. - The "reproducibility crisis" in science, where many studies cannot be replicated, further highlights the need for more reliable methods. - Systematic reviews and tools like the "risk of bias" (RoB) tool by SYRCLE aim to improve the quality and reliability of animal studies. - Despite these efforts, animal research remains necessary due to the complexity of living systems and regulatory expectations. - Strategies to maximize the value of animal data include assessing for flaws, tracking outcomes, and improving reproducibility. - The prevalence problem in drug discovery, where rare effects are hard to detect, underscores the need for more predictive models and testing methods. The article emphasizes the ongoing need for better alternatives to animal testing and the importance of rigorous and transparent research practices to ensure the safety and efficacy of new drugs.The article by Thomas Hartung discusses the role of animal models in drug development, highlighting both their contributions and limitations. Animals like mice and rats have been crucial in understanding diseases and testing potential treatments before human trials, but overreliance on animal models can lead to misleading results and clinical trial failures. The author explains how animal research is used in drug development, its benefits, and limitations, and explores more accurate and humane techniques, such as human-cell-based and computer models, that could improve the process. Key points include: - Animal models have historically been essential in drug development, but their limitations, such as species differences and poor reproducibility, have led to many clinical trial failures. - Ethical concerns and resource-intensive nature of animal testing have driven the development of alternatives. - The "reproducibility crisis" in science, where many studies cannot be replicated, further highlights the need for more reliable methods. - Systematic reviews and tools like the "risk of bias" (RoB) tool by SYRCLE aim to improve the quality and reliability of animal studies. - Despite these efforts, animal research remains necessary due to the complexity of living systems and regulatory expectations. - Strategies to maximize the value of animal data include assessing for flaws, tracking outcomes, and improving reproducibility. - The prevalence problem in drug discovery, where rare effects are hard to detect, underscores the need for more predictive models and testing methods. The article emphasizes the ongoing need for better alternatives to animal testing and the importance of rigorous and transparent research practices to ensure the safety and efficacy of new drugs.