In our latest Minds Behind VICT3R , we’re catching up with Karolina Kopańska from CAATevents. Karolina co-Leads VICT3R WP8, dedicated to the retrospective and prospective testing supporting the qualification of the Virtual Control Group (VCG) concept. She also coordinates the VICT3R Regulatory Interaction Task Force (RITF), which drives VICT3R’s engagement with policymakers and regulators worldwide.
We are proud to announce the expansion of the VICT3R consortium with the addition of new beneficiaries joining the project and organisations joining the VICT3R Associated Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Network. This growing network of organisations strengthens our mission to transform the way safety is evaluated in drug and chemical development by reducing reliance on laboratory animals. The newly joined beneficiaries include first-line industry partners
The VICT3R consortium met in Barcelona on 29–30 September 2025 for its 3rd Consortium Meeting and General Assembly, marking the successful close of the project’s first year. With 67 participants attending in-person and another 60 joining online, the event brought together nearly 130 partners and collaborators from academia, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, and members of the project’s Scientific and Regulatory Advisory Board to reflect
VICT3R launched the first edition of its Virtually Speaking webinar series in early 2025, bringing together experts to discuss key topics relevant to VICT3R, shaping the future of toxicology and safety science. The series, which ran from January to July, combined open webinars for the broader community with closed sessions for the consortium, where we explored how to apply the concepts directly to project work.
In our latest Minds Behind VICT3R , we’re catching up with Heinz Schwerdtfeger from Syncwork Ag, who leads the project WP9. Heinz and his team are making sure that the tools developed in VICT3R are properly validated and meet Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards − using what’s known as Computer System Validation (CSV).
We’re excited to present the latest edition of Minds Behind VICT3R, featuring Nadège Le Roux (Bristol Myers Squibb) – expert in Regulatory Sciences and Policy and a key contributor to VICT3R’s regulatory strategy. With a strong background in regulatory science, Nadège brings valuable insight into how innovative methods like Virtual Control Groups (VCGs) can be integrated into future safety assessments.
This time, Minds Behind VICT3R puts the focus on Armelle Grevot (Novartis) – veterinary pathologist and leader of WP4 in VICT3R. With 20+ years of experience in toxicologic pathology, Armelle is helping shape the future of safety science by integrating digital histopathology into Virtual Control Groups (VCGs).
We are pleased to announce that the VICT3R project has been featured in the latest episode of the Lab of Tomorrow video interview series by Eurogroup for Animals. This initiative highlights scientists who are actively working to phase out the use of animals in the regulatory assessment of drugs and other chemicals. In this new episode, Ferran Sanz (Project Coordinator, Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and Thomas
For this issue of Minds Behind VICT3R, we had the chance to speak with Guillemette Duchateu-Nguyen (Roche) – an expert biostatistician with extensive experience in preclinical and clinical data analysis. Guillemette played a key role in the core group that developed the first historical control data repository, now the foundation of the VICT3R database.
What happens when you bring together over 120 scientists, data experts, and regulatory minds - some gathered in a conference room in Barcelona, others dialling in from around the world? You get two days filled with progress, open debate, and a shared determination to make Virtual Control Groups (VCGs) a reality. At its core, VICT3R is tackling a complex challenge: replacing concurrent control groups in
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101172693.
The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe and Instem Scientific Limited.
Funded by the European Union, the private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.
© 2025 | VICT3R – Developing and implementing Virtual Control Groups to reduce animal use in Toxicology Research
