Promoting the 3Rs
The aim of the 3Rs principles is to replace as many animal experiments as possible, to reduce the number of laboratory animals and to minimize their stress to the greatest extent possible (refine).
Internet 3Rs training day
Continuous training is not only a legal obligation for staff involved in animal experiments, but also plays a key role in ensuring that animal studies are planned and conducted according to the latest standards. To this end, member companies hold all-day internal training days that address current issues that are relevant to as many employees as possible. The aim is to improve processes in the area of invivo activities.
The hot topics are systematically evaluated in advance and internal and external speakers are selected to give presentations. In contrast to external conferences and courses, this format enables broad, needs-based coverage of topics and establishes suitable contacts for ongoing professional exchange regarding those topics in the future.
Project name: Internet 3Rs training day
Charter articles: 1, 3, 6, 9
Handling Champions
The concept of “gentle handling”, which has been established in animal husbandry for some time, is now mandatory for all processes that require the handling of laboratory animals. This involves not only more intensive training of the animals, but also the joint development of solutions to practical challenges, such as collecting samples in quick succession or when handling particularly reactive animals.
To promote the exchange of experiences and develop best practices, one member company established a group of “Handling Champions”. Each working group has a representative. These individuals act as the first point of contact within their teams for questions, concerns or suggestions for improvement and support the consistent implementation of the gentle-handling approach.
Project name: Handling Champions
Charter articles: 1, 2, 3
Roche Global 3 Awards
Every two years, a member company presents global 3Rs Awards for outstanding scientific work that contributes to reducing animal testing and improving animal welfare. The 2025 award ceremony marked the tenth such event since its launch in 2007 and underscored the long-term strategic importance of the 3Rs principles.
The award is given to projects that demonstrate the practical implementation of replacement, reduction and refinement in an exemplary manner. The award-winning work covers a broad spectrum – from the development of human-based organoid models, which prevent the use of hundreds of laboratory animals every year, to targeted enrichment measures for primates and robot-assisted surgical systems that increase precision and reduce stress on the animals.
One particularly noteworthy project from Switzerland is an extraordinary internal training program in the field of surgery, methodology and technology. This program takes a significant step forward in laboratory animal education and training by deliberately avoiding the use of animals bred specifically for training purposes. Instead, surplus animals from external breeding partners are integrated into the internal training program. Employees can learn essential procedures under controlled conditions and in strict accordance with the 3Rs principles. The program strengthens the culture of care and saves resources while also ensuring high training standards.
Project name: Global 3Rs Awards
Charter articles: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9
3Rs research (refinement studies)
Based on the revised Article 137d of the Animal Welfare Ordinance (AniWO), which expressly permits the targeted use of animals for 3Rs research, researchers and animal welfare officers from a member company have initiated a joint project. The aim of the project is to systematically identify, implement and provide scientific support for internal refinement projects.
The focus is on evidence-based research and validation of refinement measures in the areas of husbandry, enrichment and experimental procedures. Impact reduction should not be based on assumptions, but rather reliable scientific data. The findings are directly integrated into preclinical development.
With this approach, the member company is deliberately going above and beyond the minimum legal requirements. Data-based optimization of animal welfare reduces stress while improving the quality and validity of studies, thus making an indirect but significant contribution to making the development of new medicines for patients more efficient.
Project name: 3Rs research (refinement studies)
Charter articles: 1, 2, 5, 8
Internal awards to promote the 3R
Some Interpharma member companies regularly award internal national and international 3R prizes. The researchers from the various departments have the opportunity to enter their activities and developments and are thus motivated to further advance the 3R.
Project name: Internal 3R Awards
Charter articles: 1, 3, 9
Replacement of a fish full life cycle study by a weight of evidence analysis addressing regulatory concerns on environmental impact
Regulatory agencies may request fish full life cycle studies to inform whether a compound might have reproductive toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations. This member company instead conducted a systematic literature review, analyzed the compound’s mechanism of action, reviewed preclinical and clinical reproductive toxicity data, and compared environmental exposure levels to therapeutic plasma concentrations. This evidence demonstrated no mechanistic link to reproductive toxicity in fish, convincing regulators to waive the requested fish life cycle study, thus saving over 600 animals.
Project name: Replacement of Fish Full Life Cycle Study via Weight of Evidence
Charter articles: 1, 8
Innovation in 3R’s Program
In 2022, one member company established an “Innovation in 3Rs program” (I3Rs) and has successfully funded 15 internal projects since. The purpose of this program is to inspire and support the member company’s scientists to think about how they conduct their research by granting the resources they need to innovate and validate new ways to Replace, Reduce, and Refine animal studies. The Innovation in 3Rs Program selects and prospectively supports novel 3Rs research projects that would otherwise not be conducted. In 2025 five projects (3 Reduction & 2 Refinement projects) were selected. Winning projects will explore new embryonic strategies to reduce animal production for genetically modified mouse models, develop and validate a spheroid model to study hepatotoxicity in a tropical disease, utilize precision cut tissue slices to answer more questions with fewer animals, evaluate the impact of transitional light on mouse welfare and finally determine how to protect lab animals from bright light exposure.
Project name: Innovation in 3Rs Program (I3Rs)
Charter articles: 1, 3, 8
Implementation of a 4th R award for “Responsibility”
In order to appreciate the support of colleagues that are not directly involved in the in-vivo work but facilitate animal welfare one member company has initiated a 4th “R” award for the category “Responsibility” in 2022. In 2024 the award was given to a colleague who championed research animal retirement and resources for compassion resilience.
Project name: 4th R Award – Responsibility
Charter articles: 3, 9
Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD)
One Interpharma member company will celebrate their seventh annual Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD) in 2025. BRAD was launched in 2016 by Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) in the US. This day is an opportunity to inform and raise awareness among the company’s employees about the need for and benefits of animal research for the development of new medications and therapies. In the Interpharma member company, BRAD will be celebrated globally in the week of October 20th with numerous presentations highlighting the development of animal research, introducing scientists on how to utilize new technologies, and how to improve the lives of animals under our care. In addition, the member company’s global and local 3Rs (Reduce, Refine, Replace) Award winners will be recognized.
Project name: Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD)
Charter articles: 3, 9
Culture of Care activities
One Interpharma member company has initiated a presentation series for animal care staff and interested employees in the context of its “Culture of Care” activities. These presentations given by research scientists in layman’s terms enable a better understanding of the animal studies performed in the company. The better understanding why the studies are being performed lead to a better awareness of the animals’ phenotypes and better animal care.
Project name: Culture of Care Presentation Series
Charter articles: 2, 3, 9
One interpharma member company has established a formal “Culture of Care” committee at one of its in vivo sites in order to foster a supportive environment for both laboratory animals and the in vivo associate community. The team has developed a survey, presented findings at leadership meetings and conferences, and collaborated with behavioral science experts to guide programming. Their work has expanded from local efforts to a more global outreach, with plans for broader implementation and alignment with other in vivo sites.
Project name: Culture of Care Committee
Charter articles: 2, 3, 5
Internal training
Every year, a member company in Switzerland offers an array of federally approved training courses and one special day of continuing education, enabling associates that work with animals in research to meet their statutory training requirements. Topics of the training day include:
- Info about current animal welfare topics
- Update on ongoing Swiss initiatives regarding animal research
- Studying neural networks in-silico
- Animal behind the top drugs/top medical devices and current public landscape/legislation for animal research in the U.S.
- Retirement of non-human primates
- Turning Knowing, Into Doing: Evaluation of a Workshop to Train Scientists How to Appropriately Include Sex as a Biological Variable
- Micropipette-guided drug administration as a gentle alternative to oral gavage
- Gottingen Minipigs – 30 years in drug development mitigating clinical development risks
- Effects of environmental enrichment on cancer, immunity and aging
- Applying microsampling in drug discovery: Supporting science and the 3Rs
On the training day, information on any changes, including legislation and directives, are also provided. This ensures that the employees are informed about the current state of the legislation as well as on the concerns of the Animal Experimentation Commission.
Furthermore, practical training is also offered in this member company via the Training Services group. Training is provided to all new employees in the field of animal research in order to ensure uniform standards. Additionally, special events and advanced training are also offered for experienced employees. These continuing education courses can be officially recognized as counting toward required continuing education days.
Project name: Internal Training and Continuing Education in Animal Research
Charter articles: 1, 3, 8