Thousands of Animals Spared As EPA Uses Breakthrough Approach Developed with PETA Scientists

For Immediate Release:
January 6, 2026

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spared 1,600 animals from deadly chemical tests after successfully applying a scientific approach created by the EPA, PETA, and other experts.

The approach shows how to use existing toxicity data to predict the likelihood of cancer without killing more animals. The EPA used this approach for the first time to assess two industrial chemicals for their cancer-causing potential. If the agency had used the outdated cancer test on animals, approximately 1,600 rats and mice would have been killed in these life-long tests.

More than 50 years of scientific literature demonstrate that the data collected from cancer tests on rats and mice aren’t relevant to humans. In addition, because these tests on animals take so long to conduct, they can’t quickly provide us with information about the chemicals in our environment.

This milestone follows years of work by EPA, PETA scientists, and collaborators. The groups have co-authored two papers in the scientific literature and published examples demonstrating how to use the approach through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—the international body that sets guidelines for how chemicals are tested.

Each time the EPA or other regulatory agencies use this approach, hundreds of animals are spared from tests in which they are forced to ingest or inhale toxic chemicals or have them applied to their skin. In just one of these tests, hundreds of animals are exposed to chemicals every day for up to two years, only to be killed and their bodies examined.

“Innovation and compassion shine when we modernize scientific practices and prioritize human‑relevant tools,” says Dr. Amy Clippinger, Managing Director of Regulatory Toxicology at PETA. “By working collaboratively, the EPA is helping drive the effort to replace animal tests with approaches that will create a safer future for people and the planet.”

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