From Pipeline to Plant Protection Products: Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Agrochemical Safety Assessment

Authors: Henriquez JE, Badwaik VD, Bianchi E, Chen W, Corvaro M, LaRocca J, Lunsman TD, Zu C, Johnson KJ
Publication: J Agric Food Chem
Keywords: admet predictor, chemical risk assessment, gastroplus, HTPK, machine learning, ngra, pbk modeling, PBPK modeling, physiologically based kinetics
Software: GastroPlus®

Abstract

The human population will be approximately 9.7 billion by 2050, and food security has been identified as one of the key issues facing the global population. Agrochemicals are an important tool available to farmers that enable high crop yields and continued access to healthy foods, but the average new agrochemical active ingredient takes more than ten years, 350 million dollars, and 20,000 animals to develop and register. The time, monetary, and animal costs incentivize the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in early-stage screening to prioritize chemical candidates. This review outlines NAMs that are currently available or can be adapted for use in early-stage screening agrochemical programs. It covers new in vitro screens that are on the horizon in key areas of regulatory concern. Overall, early-stage screening with NAMs enables the prioritization of development for agrochemicals without human and environmental health concerns through a more directed, agile, and iterative development program before animal-based regulatory testing is even considered.

By Malik A, Khan T, Siddique MUM, Faruk A, Sood AK, Bhat ZR