We’re delighted to share that Lhasa Limited has been shortlisted for the Lush Prize 2026 in the Science category, an award recognising research teams whose work is most likely to lead to practical, regulator-accepted non-animal testing approaches.
The Lush Prize exists to accelerate the transition to 21st-century toxicology, with the ultimate goal of ending the use of animals in research, testing and education. Being shortlisted reflects not only the quality of the science but also the shared ambition to deliver safer, more human-relevant approaches to chemical safety assessment.
This recognition is particularly meaningful for us, as it reinforces our vision; to enable successful regulatory submissions without animal testing. The themes of this year’s Lush Prize strongly align with the work Lhasa has been driving forward in human-relevant toxicology, particularly through the use of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) to support toxicity assessments for endpoints such as developmental toxicity.
Replacing animal use in developmental and reproductive toxicity assessments
Developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) remains one of the most complex areas of safety assessment. Across many industries, regulatory requirements still rely heavily on in vivo studies in two animal species, resulting in significant animal use and raising both ethical and scientific challenges.
At Lhasa, our scientists have developed a computational, AOP-based framework designed to support the transition towards animal-free DART assessments. By integrating mechanistic knowledge, non-animal methodologies (NAMs) and in silico prediction, our framework improves the identification of DART hazards and strengthens confidence in safety assessments.
Our most recent research, presented at two international conferences in 2025, demonstrates how this framework can in theory support safe, confident single-species developmental toxicity assessments. Moving from two species to one represents an important step in building regulatory confidence, with the potential to save over 1,000 animals per compound tested, while laying the scientific foundation for future animal-free decision making.
What the AOP framework enables
Our DART AOP framework:
- Predicts DART hazards across a broader chemical space than traditional models
- Provides mechanistic insight into observed toxicity, improving confidence in NAM outputs
- Supports transparent, evidence-based decision making for safety assessments.
By clearly linking mechanistic data to adverse outcomes, the framework helps scientists understand why a compound may cause toxicity, not just whether it does, supporting safer, more human-relevant decisions.
Our current focus is on enabling regulatory acceptance of single-species DART assessments, removing the need for two in vivo developmental toxicity studies and progressing towards a future where animal studies are no longer required.
Advancing science through collaboration
Collaboration is central to the Lhasa mission, and one of our core values. Throughout the development of our AOP framework, we have worked closely with partners across industry, regulation, and methodology development.
Thank you to all our collaborators, your input has been instrumental in refining the framework and ensuring it addresses real-world regulatory and industry challenges. A joint manuscript describing this work and its cross-sector application is currently in preparation.
What’s next
Looking ahead in 2026, we aim to expand our partnerships across the pharmaceutical and agrochemical sectors, working together to address industry challenges and further support regulatory confidence in single-species and non-animal DART assessment approaches.
Being shortlisted for the Lush Prize reinforces our vision; to enable successful regulatory submissions without animal testing.
If you’re interested in being part of this conversation, we’d love for you to get in touch.
Get in touchLast Updated on January 21, 2026 by lhasalimited
