VICT3R Project Expands Consortium to Drive Animal-Free Safety Testing
The VICT3R project has expanded its consortium by welcoming new beneficiaries and contract research organisations (CROs), strengthening its mission to revolutionise safety testing in drug and chemical development while reducing reliance on laboratory animals.
With the inclusion of new partners, the project budget has increased to €30 million, marking a significant milestone in its growth and impact.
New beneficiaries joining the consortium include Servier Group, an independent international pharmaceutical company committed to therapeutic innovation, and Zoetis Belgium SA, the world’s leading animal health company. Additionally, CAATevents gGmbH, a non-profit organisation in Germany supporting CAAT-US and CAAT-Europe, has joined the consortium to further promote alternatives to animal testing.
The expanded VICT3R network now includes 37 organisations across 12 countries, encompassing six academic institutions, eight SMEs, and 23 industrial partners in human, veterinary, and agricultural sciences.
Further strengthening the project, major CROs — Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Scantox A/S, and Labcorp — have joined through associated agreements, contributing decades of preclinical data and expertise to develop Virtual Control Groups (VCGs), a key pillar of the VICT3R initiative.
According to Ferran Sanz (Pompeu Fabra University, Spain), Project Coordinator, “The VICT3R project is attracting growing interest from across the industry, reflecting a collective commitment to ethical innovation.”
Thomas Steger-Hartmann (Bayer, Germany) added, “The inclusion of these partners enhances our outreach and accelerates the adoption of VCGs in preclinical testing.”
Frank Bringezu (Merck Healthcare KGaA, Germany) noted, “This expansion strengthens VICT3R’s position as a leader in transformative advancements in animal reduction, replacement, and refinement.”
