IIVS, supported by a grant from Colgate-Palmolive, held a training course this month in Goiania, Brazil focused on two in vitro methods with international regulatory acceptance status. The course, Alternative Methods for Evaluation of Toxicity, was attended by over 30 participants from industry and government who participated in both lectures and hands-on exercises. The training course was organized as a satellite workshop to the Congress of Brazilian Toxicology, CBTox, in Goias, Brazil.
In recent years, Brazil has been putting greater emphasis on non-animal test methods for the regulation of products - especially cosmetics. ANVISA, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency, which is responsible for the registration of products, currently recognizes the use of a number of alternative methods. In 2014 CONCEA, a multi-institutional council responsible for controlling and monitoring the implementation of alternative methods in Brazil, officially adopted 17 alternative test methods with international regulatory acceptance, and established a five-year term for their implementation.
"IIVS has assisted many regulatory communities in the adoption and implementation of non-animal methods" said Erin Hill, Co-Founder and President of IIVS. "An important part of this process is building capacity and infrastructure for the methods so they can be readily available for industry use and subsequent regulatory review."
This isn't the first time Colgate-Palmolive and IIVS have worked together internationally. Support from Colgate-Palmolive has funded workshops for scientists and regulators from Brazil, Russia and China. Colgate-Palmolive is a founding member of the IIVS Industry Council for the Advancement of Regulatory Acceptance of Alternatives (ICARAA), which is widely recognized as a key program helping the Chinese government replace their mandatory animal testing requirements for cosmetics.
"Colgate-Palmolive helped support IIVS during its founding in 1997 and we have worked together on a wide variety of validation, education and outreach initiatives over the years" said Dr. Daniel Bagley, Vice President, Global Product Safety at Colgate-Palmolive and a member of their Animal Welfare Committee. "We appreciate IIVS' collaborative approach and commitment to quality standards when implementing non-animal methods."
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About the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS)
IIVS is a non-profit organization wholly dedicated to the promotion of rapid and innovative non-animal test methods. Founded in 1997, IIVS is recognized as a leading provider of in vitro testing in support of toxicological safety evaluations. Rigorous scientific programs coupled with educational and outreach initiatives have established IIVS as a global leader in the advancement of alternatives to animal testing. For more information, visit us at http://www.iivs.org.