CORRESPONDENCE 12 May 2026 By Gordon M. Hickey 1 , Carole Yauk 2 & … Steven Maguire 3 Paris Jeffcoat McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Gordon M. Hickey McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Carole Yauk University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Steven Maguire University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Your News Feature highlights advances in animal-testing alternatives, known as new approach methodologies (NAMs), which are increasingly used in scientific research, product development and regulatory assessment (see Nature 650 , 812–814; 2026 ). Strategies from the UK, US and Canadian governments, announced last year, include commitments to accelerate the development and uptake of NAMs and highlight the need for targeted funding to support this transition. But the key barrier to implementing these commitments is institutional rather than technical. It requires changes to the established routines, norms and cultures supporting regulatory science.…