Congressional Briefing Says Animal Testing Should be Replaced with Alternative Methods

Yesterday there was a briefing held on Capitol Hill to update lawmakers on the status of non-animal test methods for assessing the toxicity of chemicals.  Led by Dr. Paul Locke of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), the briefing discussed the "3Rs" in US chemical law and policy.  Speaking at the briefing was Representative James Moran, who is ranking member of the House Appropriation Committee's subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.

Moran is also co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus (CAPC), a group staffed by both parties that seeks to raise awareness of animal welfare issues in Congress.  CAPC replaced the "Friends of Animals Caucus" that had existed in previous Congresses.  The briefing was in conjunction with CAPC.

Dr. Locke outlined the 3Rs, i.e., finding alternative testing methods that refine existing tests by minimizing animal distress, reduce animal usage, or replace whole animal tests.  Ultimately, CAAT and other organizations would like to see a shift to all non-animal testing such as those being developed as part of Tox21, the testing program that came out of the National Academy of Sciences report "Toxicity Testing for the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy."

Representative Moran concurred.  During the meeting he said that "virtually all animal tests are outdated in terms of efficiency and effectiveness."  He strongly suggested that the robotic tests being advanced by Tox21 could help rapidly screen the thousands of existing chemicals that so far have received no technical review, and do so more effectively than the standard animal tests.

More information on CAAT and the briefing can be found here.

Agencies Propose Using Fewer Animals to Identify Eye Hazards from Chemical Exposure

Two interagency projects have combined to propose a new alternative testing method that will reduce the number of animals used to determine if chemical exposures will lead to eye hazards.  The National Toxicology Program (NTP) Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM), in collaboration with the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), have issued a Federal Register notice requesting public comments on the proposal.

The Federal Register notice can be downloaded here.

Specifically, the interagency groups evaluated the classification criteria using results from testing only 3 animals instead of the usual 6 to 18 animals.  They determined that "using a classification criterion of at least 1 positive animal in a 3-animal test to determine eye hazards will provide the same or greater level of eye hazard classification as current FHSA requirements, while using 50% to 83% fewer animals."

Based on their analysis, ICCVAM has developed draft recommendations "to use this classification criterion for ocular safety testing procedures that use only a maximum of 3 animals per test substance."  The goal is to limit the use of animals in testing for the safety of chemicals.  Non-animal test methods are also being developed, and these reduced-animal tests are one step towards eliminating animal testing whenever possible. 

With the Federal Register notice these groups are requesting public comments.  Comments are due by September 26, 2011 and can be done online at the NICEATM-ICCVAM web site here.