September 10, 2019, Gaithersburg, MD – The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS) is excited to announce that it has received a grant from the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) to support its mission to promote non-animal methods. The grant will be used to purchase equipment that will enable IIVS to expand capabilities and offer several non-animal tests in compliance with Good Laboratory Practices.
“RIFM and IIVS have a long history of working together to identify non-animal testing approaches for fragrance materials” said Erin Hill, President of IIVS. “The donation will help us expand our capabilities in photosafety as well as support our growing in vitro skin sensitization program.”
In recent years, IIVS has seen a rapid increase in demand for in vitro skin sensitization tests. Earlier in 2019, IIVS collaborated with BASF SE and Givaudan to validate the kinetic DPRA, an assay that has the potential to predict potency classifications of skin sensitizers, which is required by some regulatory agencies. IIVS is also transferring the SENS-ISTM technology (ImmunoSearch, France) to its laboratory and will offer it to clients later this year.
“We appreciate IIVS’ commitment to quality non-animal testing which enables RIFM and its member companies to reduce reliance on animal testing for many endpoints,” commented Anne Marie Api, Vice President, Human Health Sciences at RIFM.
###
About the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS)
IIVS is a non-profit organization wholly dedicated to the promotion of 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 www.iivs.org.
Media Contact:
Erin Hill
President
Phone: 301-947-1281
Ehill@iivs.org
About RIFM
Established in 1966, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM) generates, analyzes, evaluates, and distributes data to provide a scientific basis for the safe use of fragrances. RIFM has compiled the most comprehensive, worldwide source of toxicology data, literature, and general information on fragrance and flavor raw materials — over 70,000 references and more than 135,000 human health and environmental studies.
RIFM’s science staff of 30 full-time professionals conducts safety assessments on fragrance ingredients and undertakes research to support the development of improved assessment methodologies. RIFM has been studying and evaluating fragrance ingredients since its foundation, publishing peer-reviewed safety monographs and group summaries on fragrance ingredients.
All of RIFM’s published work is made available to the public at no cost at FragranceMaterialSafetyResource.elsevier.com.