Switzerland: Efficient drug development with reduced use of animal individuals

Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have developed a new technology that allows the testing of around 25 antibodies simultaneously in a single mouse, marking a major advancement in biotherapeutic drug development. According to a recent study published in PNAS, this innovation could greatly accelerate drug research while significantly reducing the number of animal individuals required—potentially by a factor of up to 100. Currently, the discovery and development of protein-based biotherapeutics still rely on extensive preclinical animal testing to evaluate drug behavior, efficacy, and safety. Traditionally, a large number of animal subjects are needed to test a single biotherapeutic drug candidate, raising important ethical concerns. A possible alternative is to test multiple substances in the same animal, but until now, this method was limited to a maximum of four active ingredients per subject. The new approach could represent a crucial step forward in making drug testing more ethical.