FDA publishes final ICCR report on animal testing alternatives
The report is said to be a basis for the members - Cosmetics Europe, the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA), Japan Cosmetic Industry Association (JCIA), and the Personal Care Products Council, (PCPC) to further discuss and develop potential principals for alternatives.
The document; ‘Applicability of Animal Testing Alternatives in Regulatory Frameworks within ICCR Regions’ outlines the current legislative situation in each of the member countries in terms of alternatives whilst also providing an overview of processes and mechanisms.
A focus towards the alternative...
The topic of alternatives to animal testing has been a working item for the ICCR since its first meeting back in 2007, where the member regulatory authorities committed to an increased collaboration in the area of validation, leading to the establishment of the ICATM in 2008.
By its fourth meeting in 2010, the debate had moved beyond the developments in ICATM and the members were in agreement that the attention should be given to regulatory acceptance as a means of promoting the use of alternative approaches by 2012.
“As alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics are a topic of international relevance, the scientific, business, ethical, and to some extent, legal drivers towards alternative test methods are common and important across the ICCR regions.”
Suggestions
Although the authorities in the four regions do not prescribe specific test protocols, the administration noted that using alternative approaches to standard OECD test protocols carried a risk that the resulting safety assessment might be challenged or not accepted by regulators.
The report concluded with suggestions, including that of phototoxicity, dermal penetration, skin corrosivity/skin irritation, genotoxicity, eye irritation, and skin sensitisation methods while also acknowledging that one-for-one replacements work only in few cases and that future success will be built on test batteries/tiered approaches.
For a full review of the report, please see here.
The ultimate aim of the ICCR is 'to identify means to remove regulatory obstacles among the regions whilst maintaining the highest level of global consumer protection'.
The members' responsibilities are to include the exchange of regulatory, trade, and market developments of interest; determining policies relating to the ICCR process; and adopting guidelines and policy statements developed by the group.
