Slovakia strengthens participation in the European ERA4NAMs initiative
A joint working meeting of the General Assembly ERA Policy Action on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and the steering committees of the four working groups of this initiative was held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the Lindner Hotel in Bratislava.
The meeting aimed to support the coordination of European activities in the field of the so-called New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), i.e., methods of a new approach to testing the safety and efficacy of chemical substances, medicines, medical devices, and other products. These modern methodologies include, for example, advanced in vitro models of human tissues, organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, computational modelling, artificial intelligence, and integrated approaches to risk assessment. Their common goal is to increase the scientific relevance of testing for human health while reducing the need for laboratory animals in biomedical research and regulatory toxicology.
The participants of the meeting discussed the agenda and the expected outputs of the working groups, current developments at the European Commission level, and further steps for the ERA action, including future joint initiatives. The agenda included plenary discussions, presentations on related ERA activities, parallel working group sessions, and exchanges of information on national, European, and international initiatives in the field of NAMs.
The event brought together representatives of the European Commission, EU Member States, associated countries, the ERA NAMs Steering Team, expert working groups, as well as research, regulatory and stakeholder organisations active in the field of development, validation, regulation and implementation of modern non-animal testing methods.
The Slovak Republic was represented at the meeting by a scientific team from the Centre of Experimental Medicine of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (CEM SAS), which is among workplaces with long-term expertise in experimental pharmacology, toxicology, alternative testing methods, and the safety assessment of substances and medical devices. CEM SAS systematically focuses on the development, optimisation and application of modern in vitro approaches, including reconstructed human tissue models, which allow the study of the effects of substances on human tissues without the need for animal models.
CEM is represented in all working groups; Helena Kanďárová was elected as co-chair of Working Group 3 – Education and Training during the meeting, which she will lead together with Prof. Jan-Bas Prins from the Netherlands, a recognised expert and professor in the field of Laboratory Animal Science.
"Slovakia’s involvement in the ERA4NAMs initiative represents an important step towards strengthening national participation in European strategic discussions on the future of biomedical research. For CEM SAS, this initiative is an opportunity to actively contribute to shaping European policy in the field of NAMs, to connect Slovak research with European partners and to support wider adoption of scientifically relevant and ethically acceptable methods of science and research, as well as testing the safety and efficacy of substances,” assessed Helena Kanďárová.
Text: Helena Kanďárová, CEM SAS