EDITORIAL: Beyond Replacement: NAMs as a Catalyst for a New Era in Chemical Safety 

New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are transforming chemical safety, moving beyond animal testing to enable faster, human-relevant, and more predictive assessments. Backed by cutting-edge science, NAMs offer a smarter, ethical approach to regulation. However, a simple one-to-one replacement of traditional animal tests with individual NAMs is unlikely. Instead, a shift toward integrated, mechanism-based approaches will be necessary. The EU roadmap signals a critical opportunity: to lead globally by investing in innovation, aligning policy with science, and fostering collaboration across sectors to ensure safer chemicals and a healthier environment. John Colbourne (University of Birmingham), Lisa Baumann (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Majorie van Duursen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) discuss the third workshop on the European Commission’s Roadmap to phase out animal testing in this editorial.