NIH Launches New Office to Advance Human-Based Research and Reduce Animal Testing

The National Institutes of Health launched a new office in June 2026 to support research methods that use human biology rather than animal models. The Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application, known as ORIVA, will fund and coordinate the development of these approaches across NIH-supported research programs.

NIH officials said animal testing has long been the standard in biomedical research but often fails to predict how treatments will work in humans. Human-based methods, including organoids, organ-on-a-chip technology, and advanced computer modeling, can more closely replicate human biology.

The launch follows years of advocacy from scientists and animal welfare groups who argued that the research community needed a dedicated office to accelerate the transition.

ORIVA will work with researchers at universities, hospitals, and private companies. It will also develop standards for validating new methods so they can be accepted by regulatory agencies like the FDA.

The FDA has already moved in this direction. A 2022 law removed the requirement that drugs be tested on animals before human trials, though animal testing remains common in practice.

NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said the new office reflects a commitment to science that is both more humane and more effective.