November 2017

New Video Highlights IIVS-PISC Collaboration

November 28, 2017
Watch this new video that highlights our long standing collaboration with PISC to replace animal testing with innovative non-animal methods. We thank PISC for their long-time support. ...

IIVS Announces the Opening of a Non-animal Testing Laboratory in China

November 14, 2017
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Nov. 14, 2017 – The Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control (ZJIFDC), responsible for  regulatory review of food, drugs, and cosmetics produced in Zhejiang province, has opened a non-animal testing laboratory after successful scientific collaboration with IIVS.  Based near Shanghai, the ZJIFDC made the decision to open the new lab back in 2013 to keep in line with China’s increased interest in alternatives to animal testing. In preparation, ZJIFDC partnered with IIVS to receive technical training...

IIVS eNews – October 2017

October 25, 2017
Read the latest issue of our e-newsletter for an update on our work in China and Brazil, our Practical Methods Workshop, and more.  View issue....

IIVS in Allure Magazine – President Erin Hill Talks About Non-animal Testing of Cosmetics in China

October 24, 2017
IIVS President, Erin Hill, talked to Allure magazine about efforts to phase out animal testing of cosmetics in China and replace the practice with non-animal methods. The article, which appears in the November issue, examines that while animal testing is nearly non-existent in the U.S. and officially banned in the E.U., China’s regulatory agencies require animal testing of imported cosmetics and domestically manufactured ones, with some exceptions. Hill goes on to talk about the collaboration between IIVS and the Chinese...

Video: Bovine Corneal Opacity & Permeability Test – Spanish

October 16, 2017
This 13- minute training video demonstrates how to perform the BCOP assay according to the Test Guidelines set forth for the assay by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD TG 437). The video focuses on steps that are critical to the success of the assay such as handling of the isolated cornea and removal of the test material from the cornea at the conclusion of the exposure time. ...

IIVS and Colgate-Palmolive Team Up to Provide Training on Non-Animal Methods in Brazil

October 10, 2017
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Oct. 10, 2017 – 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...

Video: The 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test – Spanish

October 6, 2017
This new training video explores a cell-based method for assessing Phototoxicity — or the potential for chemicals to cause damage after being exposed to light. The method is used widely around the world by many industries, including the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Disclaimer: Please note that the procedures shown in this video were for demonstration purposes only and that all assay procedures, except the UV A/dark exposure, should be performed in a biological safety cabinet using aseptic techniques. Due to video production...

Chinese FDA and IIVS Re-affirm Their Collaboration for Non-animal Tests

September 7, 2017
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Sept. 7, 2017 – Bo Li, General Director of the CFDA’s National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) and Erin Hill, President of US based non-profit, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bring non-animal test methods to China for the regulation of cosmetics and ingredients. The move re-affirms and expands a three-year partnership between the NIFDC and IIVS. Currently China has mandatory animal testing for many products, including special...

Quality Considerations: Redefining Test Systems from Animals to Tissues and Beyond

August 28, 2017
The use of non-whole animal test methods transforms the way regulatory requirements are applied in preclinical testing. Recent global regulatory initiatives emphasize the importance of transitioning to human relevant assays and test systems that do not use animals. When these methods are moved from research into the regulated arena, GLP principles must be followed. The GLPs were originally written in the 1970s, when the vast majority of regulated research was performed using animals as the test system. Current innovative, alternative...

Introducing the 3R Concepts into Pre-College Classrooms

August 28, 2017
This poster provides a snapshot of pre-college teachers (46) within the U.S.—gauging their knowledge and familiarity of the 3Rs and non-animal testing methods (i.e. in vitro methods), initiative to address the topic in the classroom, and their students’ level of interest in the topic. While recognizing the ethical considerations related to animal experimentation, the current generation of teachers and students are also eager to understand the relevance, reliability, and reproducibility of in vitro methods as the modern wave of technologies...