Relates to human-relevant research funding for scientific testing on animals and establishes the promoting ethical testing solutions fund

• Republican1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Michael Gianaris says this is needed

Science is rapidly moving away from outdated and inaccurate animal tests and toward human-based technologies. The National Institutes of Health estimates that more than 90% of drugs fail in clinical trials after extensive animal studies often due to unexpected toxicity or lack of efficacy. However, research that is based on human biology is signif- icantly more likely to give results predictive of human responses. These technologies will continue to improve, while animal models will always have massive constraints. Recognizing the importance of accurately eval- uating the safety of drugs, chemicals, and other products, federal agen- cies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are pushing for the development and use of modem human-based technology. These tech- nologies include "organs-on-chips" created from human cells on micro- chips that are used to determine how human organs respond to different drugs or chemicals, reconstructed skin and cornea models, and sophisti- cated computer models. New York has already acknowledged the value of non-animal science by passing laws requiring the use of certain non-animal methods in 2008 and prohibiting the sale of cosmetics that have been subjected to new animal testing in 2022. New York should now take the opportunity to invest in the development of the new technologies that will be used by the pharma- ceutical, chemical, cosmetics, and medical device industries to evaluate their products. This legislation establishes the Promoting Ethical Testing Solutions Fund within the New York State Urban Development Corporation to provide grants for research and development of modem technologies that are based on human biology without the use of live non-human animals. This fund is paid for by a yearly contribution from animal research facilities in the state. The funds collected will be used to provide grants to New York scientists developing non-animal alternative methods. This structure is based on one passed in 2023 in Maryland with the support of the labs themselves.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.