Sep 24, 2025 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
Last week marked an inspiring milestone for the ASPIS cluster, with two major events taking place back-to-back: EUROTOX 2025 and the ASPIS Open Symposium. Together, they brought scientists, regulators, and industry representatives into one space to share progress, strengthen collaboration, and discuss the future of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in regulatory science.
EUROTOX 2025: Bringing science closer to regulatory use
At EUROTOX, RISK-HUNT3R and ASPIS partners showcased advances in NAMs and their role in shaping the future of risk assessment.
• A dedicated session on assessing and communicating uncertainty in Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) sparked valuable discussion on how to make emerging methods more transparent, reliable, and regulatory-ready.
• Another session on advanced human liver test systems highlighted how cutting-edge in vitro models can improve drug and chemical safety evaluation while reducing reliance on animal testing.
These sessions underlined both the scientific potential and the ethical importance of transitioning to modern testing strategies.
ASPIS Open Symposium
Following EUROTOX, the ASPIS Open Symposium brought together RISK-HUNT3R, PrecisionTox, and ONTOX for two days of interactive sessions. Here, the focus was on building momentum around new tools, case studies, and collaborative initiatives to accelerate the regulatory uptake of NAMs.
A particular highlight was the discussion on ASPA, the interactive workflow developed within RISK-HUNT3R to operationalize NGRA, as a key example of how structured workflows can guide users through the NGRA process and support regulatory integration.
Best Poster Award winners for their outstanding contributions:
Eliska Kuchovska (ONTOX; IUF – Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine) – Regulation of key neurodevelopmental processes by disease pathways and nuclear receptors in a human Neurosphere Assay
Shaleen Glasgow (PrecisionTox; University of Birmingham) – Comparative transcriptomics of Daphnia and Bio-medical models for the evolutionary conservation of a gene network for toxicant associated fatty liver disease
Eike Cöllen (RISK-HUNT3R; University of Konstanz) – Rapid identification of neurotoxicity alerts for multiple compound classes by high-throughput single cell Ca2+ assays
By joining forces, ASPIS projects are moving NAMs from the research bench into regulatory practice, shaping a system that is more reliable, more human-relevant, and less dependent on animal testing.
First ASPA Paper Submitted!
Great news: the very first paper on the ASPA workflow has just been submitted. This is a big milestone for the project and for advancing NGRA in practice.
While under review, you can already explore the preprint here: https://zenodo.org/records/16993943
Jul 23, 2025 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
The whole RISK-HUNT3R consortium convened in June in Helsinki for a truly energizing week, bringing together project members and stakeholders to shape the future of chemical risk assessment.
💡 Across four packed days, we:
- Demonstrated the ASPA workflow for Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) and showcased the NAM toolbox and linked innovations
- Presented ongoing RISK-HUNT3R NGRA case studies
- Engaged in a thought-provoking panel discussion on the impact of RISK-HUNT3R and ASPA for the European Commission NAM Roadmap
- Explored RISK-HUNT3R sustainability efforts and valorisation strategies for NAM-based NGRA
- Held poster session on RISK-HUNT3R scientific and implementation achievements and enjoyed Junior Scientist speed presentations of NAM innovations
- Showcased the submitted OECD IATA case studies
Reflecting on the ASPA and NAMASTOX, our SRAB member Nicholas Ball (Dow) illustratively explained:
“𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘚𝘗𝘈 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪. 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘤. 𝘕𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘟 𝘢𝘭𝘭o𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺 – 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰.”
A huge 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 to all contributors for making this event a true success. The collaboration, insights and dedication witnessed here will shape the next steps in the journey toward human-relevant, sustainable safety science.
May 27, 2025 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
After months of preparation, the ASPA-NGRA Workshop is finally taking place – 27–28 May at the BfR in Berlin!
Hosted by RISK-HUNT3R and co-organised by EFSA, ECHA, OECD, JRC, EPA, NIH/NIEHS, ONTOX, PrecisionTox, and BfR, it will bring together international experts and stakeholders to critically assess the ASPA workflow for NGRA, ensuring it aligns with the emerging needs of regulatory acceptance for chemical safety in next-generation risk assessment (NGRA).
ASPA is the interactive NGRA workflow that guides users through all steps and decisions of a risk assessment process. It aims to drive consistency and reproducibility in decision-making and is designed to support regulatory and industry stakeholders in the transition towards a safer, animal-free hazard and risk assessment framework.
🔗 Learn more about ASPA
We look forward to inspiring discussion, collaboration, and forward-thinking progress.
Stay updated for the workshop outcome!
Apr 14, 2025 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
The RISK-HUNT3R project is very happy to invite you to the third edition of its public Stakeholder Symposium, taking place on 17-18 June 2025 in Helsinki, Finland. The Symposium will provide an overview of the ASPA NGRA workflow and linked case studies, as well as the developed integrative NAM toolbox, to outline the current scientific state of the art in next-generation risk assessment (NGRA) and what is needed.
This event follows the 3rd Conference on the Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments, organised by the European Commission on 16-17 June 2025 in Helsinki.
Feb 28, 2025 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
The RISK-HUNT3R consortium meeting in Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands on 10-13 February 2025 fostered engaging discussions and provided insightful feedback from our Scientific and Regulatory Advisory Board members. Their contributions have helped refine the project’s case studies and further shape our interactive NGRA workflow – ASPA.
With renewed commitment to collaboration and progress, we look forward to the ASPA-NGRA workshop in May, where we will engage with a wide network of experts to further develop ASPA and explore its application across a wide range of chemicals risk assessment.
See you next time in Helsinki!
Nov 19, 2024 | Meet RISK-HUNT3R, News
RISK-HUNT3R hosts ASPIS satellite meeting on Next-Generation Risk Assessment
On 24 October 2024, RISK-HUNT3R, on behalf of the ASPIS cluster, hosted the satellite meeting “ASPA, making next-generation risk assessment happen” as a precursor to the European Commission’s 2nd workshop on “Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments.”
The event opened with Bob van de Water (Leiden University) and Mirjam Luijten (RIVM) introducing the ASPA workflow, embodying ASPIS mission and vision for a Next-Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) framework rooted in new approach methodologies (NAMs). Barira Islam (Certara) followed with a case study demonstrating the integration of in silico and in vitro methods with physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling to assess risks from chemicals producing active metabolites. Sylvia Escher (ITEM Fraunhofer) highlighted a prioritization and screening approach to differentiate toxic from low-toxic chemicals, while Ulrika Sahlin (Lund University) addressed uncertainty characterization in NAM-based risk assessments.
The meeting sparked valuable discussions and questions, reinforcing the collective commitment to advancing NAM-based methodologies. A special thank you to our presenters and participants for their contributions to “making NGRA happen.”
For those who could not attend the event in person, our experts have prepared two short videos that provide a comprehensive overview of the background and key findings related to the ASPA presentation. These resources are intended to offer additional insights, allowing for a deeper exploration of the ASPA workflow, and are available on our webpage or YouTube channel.
On 25 October, ASPIS cluster members gathered at a pivotal European Commission workshop dedicated to progressing toward a future of chemical safety assessment without the need for animal testing.
This was the second European Commission (EC) workshop on the Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing in chemical safety assessments, held online and in Brussels. This Roadmap initiative is part of the Commission’s response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing.” The Commission welcomed ECI and is firmly committed to developing this Roadmap, which will set out specific actions and key milestones toward an animal-free regulatory framework.
The workshop provided an essential platform for dialogue among Member States and stakeholders, underscoring recent advancements. Attendees discussed vital elements, including the development, validation, and implementation of non-animal methods, and explored ways to integrate these methods across existing chemical legislation.
Representatives from ASPIS’s three projects – RISK-HUNT3R, ONTOX, and PrecisionTox – shared updates on their innovative contributions, highlighting how these efforts support the Commission’s Roadmap.
Critical contributors to these discussions included Mathieu Vinken (ONTOX coordinator, Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Martijn Moné (RISK-HUNT3R, Leiden University), Sylvia Escher (RISK-HUNT3R, ITEM Fraunhofer) and Leonie Mueller (PrecisionTox, Altertox Academy).
As explained Mathieu Vinken, ONTOX coordinator and ASPIS cluster chair for 2024-2026:
“The meeting showed again the importance of 3I (interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international) collaboration for full implementation of the 3Rs. ASPIS, and therefore ONTOX, sets an excellent example in this respect. By joining forces between the 3 consortia, a major contribution to the replacement of animal testing in the safety evaluation of chemicals is provided.”
In closing, the workshop reinforced the collaborative momentum driving NGRA and NAM-based risk assessments forward, paving the way for further progress towards animal-free safety evaluations.
The European Commission aims to release the final Roadmap by the first quarter of 2026, outlining key milestones and essential steps for transitioning to animal-free chemical legislation.
