Shipping Study to Evaluate the Performance of the LabCyte EPI-MODEL 24 Tissues for Use in the Skin Irritation Test (OECD TG 439) After Long-Haul Airfreight

March 18, 2019
It is recommended that an evaluation of the impact of shipping of Reconstructed human Epidermis (RhE) tissues be conducted especially after long-haul airfreight shipments. The OECD Test Guideline 439 (OECD TG 439), In Vitro Skin Irritation: Reconstructed Human Epidermis Test Method, recommends that users do so by verifying the barrier properties of the tissues after receipt. In this study, LabCyte EPI-MODEL 24 tissues were received in the USA after an overnight shipment from Japan and were tested to evaluate their performance...

Australian Bill Passed to End Animal Testing for Cosmetics

February 21, 2019
Measures outlined in the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017, passed by the Australian senate on 19 February, 2019, will apply to both imported and Australian produced chemicals for use as cosmetic ingredients. The commencement date is set for July 2020 although it is believed that the cosmetics industry will not need an entire year to implement changes to comply with the new law. Additionally, the bill includes funding for the development of alternative test methods. Read the full article....

Register For ICCVAM’s Free Webinar on In Vitro Inhalation Toxicity Testing

January 10, 2019
NICEATM will organize a free webinar on behalf of ICCVAM on January 22, 2019 between 1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  Registration will be required. Topics will include an overview of ongoing collaborative efforts, as well as the presentation of a case study on refining inhalation risk assessment for point of contact toxicity that uses a source-to-outcome approach with both in vitro and in silico methods. The preliminary agenda and additional information about presentations will be posted when available....

Video: The 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test

October 31, 2018
This 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 reasons,...

ARE-Nrf2 Luciferase Keratinocyte Activation Test Method (OECD 442D)

October 18, 2018
KeratinoSensTM is a cell-based reporter gene assay that models the second key event in the Adverse Outcome Pathway for Dermal Sensitization  (keratinocyte activation). The assay measures the induction of a stably transfected luciferase gene under the control of the antioxidant response element (ARE) derived from the human AKR1C2 gene. Following the methodology described in OECD Test Guideline 497, KeratinoSens is an alternative to animal testing methods necessary for the purpose of hazard identification. In conjunction with other in vitro tests, the results of this assay...

How the Good In Vitro Method Practices Guidance Document Can Help Implement New Toxicological Approaches: A Case Study in China

October 17, 2018
Currently China is striving to adopt and implement non-animal, including in vitro, testing approaches for the safety assessment of cosmetics and ingredients.  Collaborative efforts between industry and the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS, Gaithersburg, USA) have focused on the transfer of several OECD Test Guideline methods to government laboratories in China and have supported the creation of an in vitro toxicology testing laboratory within the Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control (Hangzhou, China).  Recently BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and IIVS...

China’s Compulsory Animal Testing for Cosmetics May Take More Than Five Years to Stop

October 17, 2018
By Amanda Lim, Editor (Singapore) CosmeticsDesign-Asia.com   Although China has made significant strides in moving away from animal testing, its challenges suggest it may take more than five years for the country to completely stop compulsory animal-testing for cosmetics, says Hedy He, regulatory analyst and editor of ChemLinked: "In the short term a total ban on animal testing is unlikely given the lack of testing infrastructure and technical capacity shortcomings of the industry." The Overarching Issue Among the many obstacles, the overarching one is the...

IIVS Appointed to China’s Alternatives Working Group for Cosmetics

October 9, 2018
Gaithersburg, MD – October 9, 2018 – U.S. based Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) has been invited by China’s National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) to join their working group on alternatives for cosmetics.  The newly established group was announced by the NIFDC during their 2nd International Conference on Cosmetics Alternative Methods held in Beijing in September.  Chaired by NIFDC Vice Director, Lu Yong, the working group also includes representatives from several provincial government agencies and companies...

Encouraging Regulatory Acceptance of Non-Animal Testing Methods Discussed at Annual SACATM Meeting

October 2, 2018
Among the topics discussed at the annual Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) meeting held in early September was ways to encourage both regulators and regulated industry to use new approach methodologies (NAMs). The meeting brought together experts from academia, industry, and animal welfare organizations and the importance of collaboration among the different groups and geographical regions was a recurring theme. Learn more...

California Passes Ban on Cosmetics Tested on Animals

October 1, 2018
California now has the most stringent cruelty-free policies in the U.S., following Governor Jerry Brown's signing of the bill banning the sale of cosmetic products and ingredients tested on animals.  The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act brings California in line with the EU and other global standards but still includes some exemptions for animal tests conducted to achieve compliance with other bodies, leaving some unanswered questions. Learn more...