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International Outreach Program

IIVS has worked collaboratively with international governments to help them implement non-animal test methods for the regulation of products and ingredients. Since 2010 a major area of focus has been working with the Chinese government to replace animal testing for the registration of cosmetics. This work is done under a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC). Together the NIFDC and IIVS train regulatory scientists in the execution of non-animal test methods, interpretation of resulting data, and incorporation of new methodologies into Technical Standards.

IIVS is pleased to have assisted Chinese regulators in officially adopting certain non-animal methods and review many more. Currently non-animal methods may be used for the registration of regular cosmetics when certain criteria are met. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the NIFDC and other stakeholders to widen the use of non-animal methods in China.

Recent Progress Affecting Change

April 2019: China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) Accepts Certain Non-animal Test Methods for the Regulation of Cosmetics

September 2018:  IIVS Appointed to China’s Alternatives Working Group for Cosmetics

January 2018: IIVS and BASF to Collaborate to Distribute Test Method to Replace Animal Testing in China

November 2017: IIVS Announces the Opening of a Non-animal Testing Laboratory in China

September 2017: China signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIVS re-affirming its commitment to bring non-animal test methods to China.

November 2016: The China FDA — for the first time — announced it will accept data from a non-animal test method for the safety evaluation of cosmetics. IIVS outreach programs were acknowledged by Chinese authorities, industry and animal protection organizations as playing a key role in this important advancement.

We wish to acknowledge the support of our contributors who make our work in China
possible:

Avon Products
BAT
Colgate Palmolive
ELEMIS
The Estee Lauder Companies
Galderma
Harper/Harpoothian Family Fund
Johnson & Johnson
Kittie Annie
L Brands

Laura Mercier
L’Oreal Research and Innovation
The L’Occitane Group
MAC
Mary Kay inc.
NARS Cosmetics
Origins
PETA
Unilever

With our expanded laboratory space and support from IIVS experts, we will be able to organize workshops to train many more scientists within China on the use of in vitro methods for testing of cosmetics.
— Wang Gangli, PhD, National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC)

Frequently Asked Questions

Compared to the United States and Europe, safety of cosmetics is a relatively new discipline in China. As in other parts of the world, toxicologists and early regulations rely on the classical animal model to assess hazard. Chinese regulators and government officials see non-animal test methods as an advantage over animal models – and are striving to build capacity to be able to offer these methods. IIVS provides training, informational workshops and specialized equipment to help China accelerate the transfer and implementation of these new technologies.