Over the past decade there has been progress with concepts
such as the Integrated Approach to Testing & Assessment (IATA)
and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) frameworks. Both IATA
and AOP allow for the integration of data points from various
non-animal approaches into useful information on the (eco) toxicological
properties of a substance. The weight-of-evidence (WoE)
approach is used to consider all relevant information available for
a hazard assessment.
By reviewing all available data, a conclusion may be drawn without
performing further studies. All of these techniques reduce the
need for animal testing under EU chemical legislation by making
practical use of information that is readily available or which may
be obtained using non-animal approaches.
On the horizon there are innovative non-animal approaches
that provide a comprehensive understanding of complex toxicity
mechanisms. In-vitro microsystems and high-throughput/
high-content methods that are currently under development
will require further standardization, particularly with respect to
interpretation of the results and validation, before they are fit for
regulatory use.
To achieve the more widespread application of cruelty-free
approaches, focus should be aimed toward ways to interpret and
make practical use of available data and test methods. The current
methods for fulfilling higher tier information requirements are
strongly dependent on the direct effects on humans or animals. It
will be necessary to integrate available resources to establish less
detrimental means to advance our understanding of how chemicals
interact with humans and the environment.
Resources & guidance on non-animal test methods
Raising awareness around the issues of vertebrate animal testing
in the regulatory compliance field is a step towards positive
change. If your business is required to perform chemical safety
testing under REACH or other regulatory safety legislation, it is
important to educate yourself so that you can fulfill the requirements
in an informed and responsible manner. There are a variety
of helpful resources available to help you get started.
The database service on non-animal approaches (DB-ALM)
operated by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre
(JRC) is a public database that provides evaluated information on
non-animal approaches in biomedical sciences and toxicology for
research and regulatory purposes3.
The ECHA guidance documents are a great source of information
to aid in fulfilling the requirements of the REACH
regulation and BPR4. New and improved test methods are also
frequently updated on the ECHA website5.
While these resources are directed towards EU companies, they
contain a great deal of information for anyone interested in learning
more about non-animal methods and alternatives to animal
testing. SPRAY
1https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/100000-demand-europe-lead-way-animal-freescience/
2https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/22931011/non_animal_approcches_
en.pdf/87ebb68f-2038-f597-fc33-f4003e9e7d7d
3https://ecvam-dbalm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ and the annual status reports on
https://eurl-ecvam.jrc.ec.europa.eu/eurl-ecvam-status-reports
4https://echa.europa.eu/support/guidance
5https://www.echa.eu/support/oecd-eu-test-guidelines
March 2018 SPRAY 41