Industry News
Register Now for 2020 Practical Methods for In Vitro Toxicology Workshop
August 22, 2019Register Now!
Registration is open for our 2020 Practical Methods for In Vitro Toxicology Workshop which will be held at our facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and will begin on Monday afternoon, January 13, and finish on Thursday afternoon, January 16. This intensive workshop includes presentations from IIVS scientists and guest speakers. In addition, attendees will benefit from valuable hands-on experience working with in vitro techniques in the laboratory. The workshop is suitable for both those who are just beginning to use in vitro testing as well as scientists and researchers currently using non-animal methods within their testing programs. Attendees will:- Attend multiple presentations from IIVS scientists and other experts in the field with a Q&A session following each presentation.
- Learn about regulatory-accepted procedures as well as new and novel assays and techniques.
- Explore New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in-depth with a daily focus on a specific in vitro test method.
- Gain a better understanding of data interpretation and analysis through case studies for each procedure conducted in the lab.
See You at EUROTOX 2019!
August 15, 2019IIVS is excited about meeting attendees of the 55th EUROTOX conference! Please join us at booth #34 to meet our representatives who are looking forward to discussing trends and New Methodologies in Alternative Approaches (NAMs) to toxicological research, as well providing updates on services offered by our organization! Also, don’t miss our posters: The kinetic Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (kDPRA): An in chemico method to characterize the skin sensitization potency of chemicals (Poster Viewing 1) Increased Throughput and Cryopreservation of Precision-Cut Lung Slices Extend the Utility of Human-Relevant, 3-Dimensional Pulmonary Test Systems (Poster Viewing 2) Promoting the uptake of alternatives to animal testing through the development of eLearning tools (Poster Viewing 2) Check out the program for EUROTOX 2019.
2020 Practical Methods for In Vitro Toxicology Workshop Announced
July 26, 2019Save The Dates!
IIVS is pleased to announce the dates for our 2020 Practical Methods for In Vitro Toxicology Workshop which will be held at our facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and will begin on Monday afternoon, January 13, and finish on Thursday afternoon, January 16. This intensive workshop includes presentations from IIVS scientists and guest speakers. In addition, attendees will benefit from valuable hands-on experience working with in vitro techniques in the laboratory. The workshop is suitable for both those who are just beginning to use in vitro testing as well as scientists and researchers currently using non-animal methods within their testing programs. Attendees will:- Attend multiple presentations from IIVS scientists and other experts in the field with a Q&A session following each presentation.
- Learn about regulatory-accepted procedures as well as new and novel assays and techniques.
- Explore New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in-depth with a daily focus on a specific in vitro test method.
- Gain a better understanding of data interpretation and analysis through case studies for each procedure conducted in the lab.
Creation of Italian Working Group on Alternative Methods
June 18, 2019The Italian Health Ministry recently announced the creation of a working group for the promotion of alternative methods. Experts on alternative methods, along with stakeholders, will meet monthly and update the health minister every six months. The group has been tasked with a number of responsibilities, including ensuring the proper implementation of the 2013 EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics and the correct use — and adequate funding — of alternative methods. More Information:
European Partnership Supports IIVS Training of Chinese Scientists in Non-animal Tests
May 9, 2019Gaithersburg, MD – May 8, 2019 – The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS) has received a grant from the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) to support its annual training of Chinese scientists in non-animal testing methods. As part of the agreement, two scientists from BASF SE, a member of EPAA, will join IIVS to provide hands-on training in China for four non-animal approaches for skin sensitization. This training follows the recent announcement by China’s National Medical Products Association (NMPA) of acceptance of one non-animal method for skin sensitization, DPRA, which will be included in the training. “We are proud to have the support of EPAA for our training program(s) which are designed to build proficiency and capacity in non-animal test methods in China,” states Erin Hill, President of IIVS. “We approached BASF scientists to assist us, given their technical proficiency in the tests and experience in providing training. Their inclusion allows us to provide a comprehensive training of internationally validated test methods, as well as introducing a newly developed method, the Kinetic DPRA.” IIVS’ annual training is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between IIVS and China’s National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), a technical subordinate agency of the NMPA. IIVS and the NIFDC work together to assist Chinese scientists in becoming proficient in non-animal test methods to support China’s movement toward accepting alternative tests for the regulation of cosmetics. Recently IIVS was appointed to the NIFDC’s Alternatives Working Group. IIVS and EPAA have collaborated previously to produce full length training videos for non-animal test methods which have been translated into Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish. These videos are available free of charge at the EPAA website, YouTube, and also distributed at IIVS trainings. Similarly, BASF and IIVS have collaborated over the years to promote the development and standardization of in vitro test methods. Most recently the two organizations worked to officially import the LuSens cells into China where they will be maintained at the NIFDC and distributed to appropriate laboratories. The LuSens assay for skin sensitization will also be taught in the 2019 training course. 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
Colombia and Canada Move Toward Animal Testing Ban
April 18, 2019The past seven days saw both Colombia and Canada make strides towards banning animal testing for cosmetics. In Colombia, the House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill to prohibit the use of animals in testing for both cosmetics and personal care products. The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote. If approved there, the law would come in to affect within a year of the vote. A promising first step was taken in Canada where a bill advocating for the ban of animal testing in cosmetics was brought forward for its first reading in the House of Commons. At this stage, the bill still has a number of steps before it will be voted upon by the House of Commons and passed to the Senate for their vote.
PCRM & IIVS Co-Host FREE Training
April 17, 2019The two day training, NURA: Evaluating Toxicology Information using Modern Science, will be held at IIVS on May 21-22, 2019. Training will be presented by regulators, industry personnel, and toxicology experts and will focus on how to incorporate modern methods into your testing strategies and safety assessments. Register now to secure your spot.
The Björn Ekwall Memorial Award Winner 2019
April 9, 2019IIVS is pleased to congratulate Jan van der Valk, Ph.D., director of the 3Rs-Centre Utrecht Life Sciences, who has been awarded the Björn Ekwall Memorial Award for 2019 for his work to encourage the replacement of fetal bovine serum (FCS) in cell culture medium. Additionally, he has been recognized for establishing the fetal bovine serum free database, a forum to allow discussion between researchers on the applicability of alternatives to FCS.
China’s Acceptance of Certain Non-Animal Testing Methods for the Regulation of Cosmetics
April 3, 2019Gaithersburg, MD – April 3, 2019 – The Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) applauds China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for their acceptance of certain non-animal (alternative) test methods for the regulation of cosmetics. In a notice issued on March 22, the NMPA drafted acceptance of nine test methods including:
- Direct Peptide Reaction Assay (DPRA) for Skin Sensitization (OECD TG 442C)
- Short Time Exposure Assay (STE) for eye irritation (OECD TG 491)
Illinois’ Senate Bans Sale of Cosmetics Tested on Animals
March 28, 2019The Illinois state Senate has passed a bill which would amend the state's Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to include a ban on the sale or import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals. Overall, the bill is in line with the California Act which is currently the most stringent law within the U.S. The Illinois bill is now being considered by the state's House of Representatives.