The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), an alliance of 30 industrialized countries including
the United States and members of the European Union,
preliminarily approved three sets of non-animal ("in vitro")
test guidelines at its National Coordinators meeting earlier
this year.
The OECD is expected to formally adopt the guidelines later
this year, a decision that will encourage scientists from
member countries to switch from the old tests to the new
alternatives, thereby reducing the number of animals used in
chemical toxicity experiments. The guidelines are voluntary,
but the OECD's stamp carries great weight, says Dr. Martin
Stephens, HSUS vice president for Animal Research Issues.
"Some countries have animal welfare laws strongly favoring
alternatives when the alternatives are available and
validated," Stephens added. "Thus, in the European Union, the
pro-alternative provisions are likely to legally compel the use
of the alternatives. This, in turn, might influence U.S.
companies that might occasionally be tempted to use the old
tests—they may not try to get away with it, especially when the
anticipated 'marketing ban' on animal-tested cosmetics goes
into effect in the EU."
The new guidelines are welcome news to the International
Council for Animal Protection in OECD Programmes (ICAPO), a
newly formed alliance of animal protection organizations
including The HSUS, the Doris Day Animal League, PETA, and the
European Coalition to End Animal Experiments. ICAPO is
officially recognized by the OECD as an "expert group" and, as
such, participates in key OECD meetings. The National
Coordinators meeting in May was ICAPO's first.
The National Coordinators, who serve as the official
representatives of OECD member countries, approved two in vitro
tests for the assessment of skin corrosion (the Transcutaneous
Electrical Resistance [TER] Assay and the Human Skin Model
Test); one in vitro test guideline for skin absorption
potential; and the 3T3 NRU PT test, an in vitro assessment for
the phototoxic potential (the potential for materials to become
toxic when exposed to sunlight).
"We were pleased to see these guidelines pass what many
observers regard as their final technical hurdle before
adoption by the OECD," said Stephens, who's also ICAPO
secretary. "Once adopted, they will become the international
standards for these forms of chemical testing."
