OECD QSAR Toolbox Software Update Release
10 October 2025
The latest version 4.8 of the OECD QSAR Toolbox has been released. The OECD QSAR Toolbox is used for in silico assessments, including data gap filling, to ensure robust and reliable results across various regulatory frameworks (such as chemicals, plant protection products, biocides & medical devices). The OECD QSAR Toolbox is a comprehensive risk assessment tool that fosters safer and more sustainable solutions for industry while reducing the need for animal testing.
What’s new in the OECD QSAR Toolbox v.4.8?
- New input functionality (metabolite database)
- Enhanced import and visualisation of structural data and metadata from metabolism databases
- Updated and new profilers, simulators, databases and inventories
- Revised documentation of (Q)SAR predictions in line with the OECD (Q)SAR Assessment Framework
The updated features and enhanced functionalities allow the OECD QSAR Toolbox v.4.8 to continue supporting informed decisions based on scientific data, which ultimately contributes to the better protection of human health and the environment.
New EFSA Release: Guidance on the Use of Read‐across for Chemical Safety Assessment in Food and Feed
1 August 2025
The European Food Safety Authority’s Scientific Committee has published a detailed framework for implementing the read-across approach, a method that uses data from similar chemicals to predict the toxicity of substances for which full datasets are lacking.
The guidance presents a step-by-step workflow and was developed through public consultation and extensive stakeholder input, ensuring alignment with current scientific standards and practices across regulatory bodies such as ECHA and the OECD.
Recent IUCLID 6 Update
9 July 2025
The latest IUCLID 6 release has been available since May 2025, introducing several major changes to the structure and format of the dossiers to be submitted. The IUCLID update was also discussed in the IUCLID subgroup of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Pesticide Steering Network meeting in June 2025.
Among the most significant changes are:
- Revised admissibility checklist providing guidance to applicants and Member States.
- Revised version of the User Guide on Confidentiality, with a stronger focus on confidentiality-related issues regarding the submission and processing of requests.
EFSA plans to release updated manuals by the end of July 2025, except for those on microorganisms, which are expected in the fall.