June 23, 2020, Gaithersburg, MD – US based non-profit Institute for In Vitro Sciences Inc. (IIVS) has received its first funding from a Chinese owned and operated beauty tech company, Shenzhen Basixing Technology Co., Ltd. The occasion is significant as it demonstrates the growing desire for non-animal test methods in China and the importance of the IIVS program to help implement them.
Shenzhen Basixing Technology (Shenzhen, China) focuses on the application of new technologies in both beauty care products and devices. Their first brand, Kitty Annie, was created to meet the needs of young consumers of generation Z. “We are a group of young people who have strong beliefs in science, technology and art. Through the combination of active cosmetics and devices, our goal is to provide a unique beauty experience with perceivable benefits for our consumers while promoting transparency and sustainability.” states Dr. Zhi Pan, chief scientist at Shenzhen Basixing. “IIVS’ promotion of non-animal tests has brought real change to China and companies like ours will be able to avoid animal testing in the future. This supports the core values of our company. We are very proud to be the first Chinese company to support the mission of IIVS.”
IIVS has been working in collaboration with China’s top regulatory agency responsible for cosmetics supervision to transfer non-animal test methods through outreach and training programs. These training programs have helped to establish the national Key Laboratory for Animal Alternative Testing for Cosmetics at the Zhejiang Institute for food and drug control (Hangzhou, China). Regulatory acceptance of these methods will allow companies to register cosmetics without animal testing in the future. Access to these methods also means that Chinese companies can export products to markets that prohibit animal testing of cosmetics such as the European Union.
“To date our outreach program has been funded primarily by multi-national companies. We are delighted that Shenzhen Basixing and Kitty Annie have chosen to demonstrate their commitment to non-animal testing with a contribution to our program.” says Erin Hill President, IIVS.
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The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc., is a nonprofit research and testing laboratory dedicated to the advancement of in vitro (non-animal) methods worldwide. Founded in 1997, the Institute is unique in its position as a high-quality testing laboratory while also offering technical and educational resources to advance the field.
Shenzhen Basixing Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese beauty tech company focusing on innovative technologies in beauty care. Kitty Annie, as the first brand of Basixing has been launched in 2020. This brand aims to create unique skin care experience for consumers through the combination of beauty devices and active cosmetics with commitment in transparency and sustainability.
For more information, please visit IIVS.org or Kitty Annie.