01904nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001500042653002900057653003100086653001900117653002600136653001500162100001700177700001900194245011400213856007200327300001100399520127400410022001401684       2025                            d  c2025-12-2110aanimal testing phase-out10anew approach methodologies10aPolicy roadmap10aRegulatory toxicology10aValidation1 aLove Hansell1 aThomas Hartung00aNAMazing: The importance of being earnest - a 2025 cross-Atlantic turning point in phasing out animal testing  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050620425000661  a1000713 a2025 marked an unprecedented synchrony of political initiatives to reduce and replace animal testing across the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union. Yet, their approaches differ fundamentally in sincerity, specificity, and regulatory capacity. Borrowing metaphorically from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, this commentary evaluates whether these roadmaps are earnest—substantive, time-bound, and scientifically grounded—or merely “Ernest”—symbolic commitments lacking operational force. The US executed a coordinated regulatory pivot across FDA, EPA, and NIH, with immediate guidance, institutional restructuring, and human-relevant scientific frameworks. The UK released the most detailed national roadmap to date, including explicit timelines, a national validation center (UKCVAM), governance structures, KPIs, and £75 million in funding. The EU, despite broad public support and extensive consultations, continues a slower deliberative process with limited deadlines. Using insights from recent policy analyses and validation frameworks, this commentary outlines how jurisdictions can embody the “importance of being earnest” through measurable commitments, validation capacity, and harmonized international leadership.  a3050-6204