ZonMw has developed the NAM Navigator, an innovative knowledge base that helps researchers navigate to and through valuable information on the development, standardization, validation and acceptance of New Approach Methodologies (NAM). The NAM Navigator is an online guide that provides specific information intended to increase the use of animal-free innovations.

What is the big challenge for NAMs?
It has become increasingly clear that animal experiments translate poorly to human physiology or disease. Complex in vitro models, such as organoids and organ-on-chips, may translate better as they are based on human cells. Such complex models, also referred to as NAMs, are hence expected to replace animal experiments for safety assessment of chemical compounds or efficacy testing of pharmaceutical products.

Many NAMs have been developed over recent years, but their large-scale usage by industry and pharma still stays behind. That is because broad adoption of a new method requires more than just its development and publication in a scientific journal. It also entails standardization and validation of the NAM, by testing the robustness and reproducibility of the underlying protocol. Subsequently, it also requires the acceptance of a NAM by regulatory authorities, before it can be taken up in the appropriate regulatory framework. Only then will it be used by companies for safety and efficacy testing.

Visit the NAM Navigator

How can the NAM Navigator help?
The whole process of standardization and validation is complex; a lot of valuable information is already available, but this is often scattered across the web, hosted or published by different organizations and individuals. What is missing is a central repository where all of the required information is gathered. The NAM Navigator has been created for this purpose: it aims to make information about the validation of NAMs for legal frameworks and regulatory guidelines easily accessible in one place.

The NAM Navigator is developed for researchers who want to develop a NAM and are looking for information on how to go about it. It is also a valuable site for researchers (either from academia or industry) who have already developed a NAM and want to know what they need to do to validate it and bring it further towards regulatory acceptance. The NAM Navigator is easily accessible, so that also others with little foreknowledge about validation and its respective processes can find relevant information about this complex matter. The portal contains links to important guidelines and articles for each phase of the process: from research & development, standardization, validation and acceptance. Experiences of other scientists in the validation process can be found in the ‘In Practice’ section. Relevant news and events are also shared in the NAM Navigator, as is information from various organizations involved in the validation process.

How can you help the NAM Navigator?
The NAM Navigator has been developed and optimised with the valuable input of many experts, and commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. Thanks to many valuable contributions, we can now offer information on the process of validation of NAMs for free to a wide audience. Yet, we also realize that the information provided in the NAM Navigator is never complete. We therefore still welcome feedback from experts in the field, so that we can improve this knowledge base and keep it up to date. We hope that the NAM Navigator can accelerate the transition towards animal-free innovations and reduce the number of animal experiments.