Animal testing on cosmetic ingredients will be banned in the EU from next year and although there are no such plans on the table in the US, pressure to reduce the unnecessary use of animals in research is growing.
Recent trade talks between the EU and the US at the Transatlantic Economic Council meeting focused on streamlining regulations governing animal testing and the validation and acceptance of alternative testing methods between the two economic powers.
The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) has now responded to these calls with a five year plan detailing its priorities.
ICCVAM does not itself conduct research but rather evaluates alternative testing methods and recommends them to federal regulatory agencies.
Research priorities
In this capacity, the committee, which contains representatives from regulatory and research agencies, has identified current research priorities.
The organization plans in particular to focus its energies on evaluating alternatives to tests that currently use a large number of animals or involve considerable pain and distress.
It also identified ocular toxicity, dermal toxicity, acute systemic toxicity and biologics as its highest priority testing areas but stated that this list may change as industry needs shift and scientific advances are revealed.
Another priority area is the identification of the promotion of research efforts that are most likely to successfully deliver useful alternative methods.
Achieving this requires the formation of closer partnerships between industry, academia and other national and international stakeholders.
Information sharing
This is described as the cornerstone of ICCVAM's five year plan because information sharing will ensure that the best use of existing resources and expertise is made and that efforts are not duplicated.
Improved communication will also help the committee promote the acceptance of alternative methods.
The pursuit of this goal, which is most closely related to ICCVAM's function, is two pronged.
To facilitate the approval by regulatory agencies of alternative methods the organization will work to furnish them with test method background, review documents and the results of peer reviewed studies.
Once an alternative method has been identified it will sponsor and participate in training workshops for interested stakeholders.
