Moving beyond oral gavage: micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) as a 3R refinement for voluntary oral drug delivery in rodents

Abstract

Micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) is a voluntary oral drug delivery method for rodents designed to minimise stress and the risk of injury, in contrast to traditional oral gavage, which remains the most widely used technique. By allowing animals to voluntarily consume drugs without restraint, MDA improves animal welfare while maintaining experimental accuracy and represent a refinement with the 3R framework. The method has been applied across multiple research fields, including neuroscience, oncology, infections, and behavioural studies. As interest in alternatives to gavage increases, preserving the principles of voluntary intake and minimal restraint is essential to maintain the refinement benefits of MDA and ensure reliable scientific outcome.