New Recommendations can Save Animals from Inhalation Testing

New specific steps that aid in achieving global regulatory acceptance of non-animal test methods have been recommended for inhalation tests, reveals a comprehensive report.

The report outlining the findings from an international expert workshop have been published in the journal Toxicology in Vitro.

‘Development of new, more human-relevant toxicity testing paradigm helps protect human health and save the lives of animals.’

As a result of these recommendations, working groups have been formed to gather reference data, develop a state-of-the-science review article on existing in silico and in vitro approaches, and conduct testing to show the value of these approaches.

Co-authors of the paper include the PETA International Science Consortium, the Environmental Protection Agency, Dow AgroSciences, Dow Chemical, Syngenta, British American Tobacco, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cardiff University, among others.

The inhalation tests currently required by various regulatory agencies are typically conducted on animals, but researchers are seeking more efficient, human-relevant methods that don't use animals.

"Bringing together interested and informed scientists, risk-assessors, regulators and NGOs to this multi-stakeholder acute inhalation workshop provided a productive forum to integrate available thoughts and data towards the goal of advancing how in silico and in vitro methods can replace animal testing as part of a refined chemical safety management program. These interactions are critical as sound chemicals' management is a shared responsibility that requires input from all stakeholders for successful implementation, especially for the launch and implementation of the new Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act," says Dr. Sue Marty, Toxicology Science Director at The Dow Chemical Company.

"We applaud the forward-thinking scientists who are ushering in a new, more human-relevant toxicity testing paradigm that both protects human health and spares animals' lives," says PETA International Science Consortium director and lead author of the publication, Dr. Amy Clippinger.

The workshop,which took place in September 2016 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland was cohosted by the PETA International Science Consortium and the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) and included 50 experts from regulatory agencies, industry, academia, and NGOs.

"These types of public-private partnerships that leverage collective resources, knowledge and expertise are essential to realize successful implementation of new approach methodologies that protect public health without testing in animals," says David Allen, Principal Investigator of the NICEATM support contract at Integrated Laboratory Systems.



Source: Eurekalert