WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States and The Procter & Gamble Company will bestow the North American Alternative Awards on Dec. 18 for outstanding scientific contributions to the advancement of viable alternatives to animal testing.
This is the third consecutive year The HSUS and Procter & Gamble have joined together in this commitment to eliminate animal testing for consumer product safety while ensuring marketed products are safe for consumers and the environment. This year, Procter & Gamble is funding two grants of $25,000 each.
One recipient is Melvin Andersen, Ph.D., of the Hamner Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C. He was a key author of the National Research Council's June 2007 visionary report calling for a paradigm shift in toxicity testing of chemicals, away from animal use and towards non-animal methods. The new approach relies on modern advances in biology and technology and emphasizes human — rather than animal — biology. The award will fund research that will help implement the vision.
The other award also supports research to advance the National Research Council's vision—the "Tox21" program under the leadership of Christopher Austin, M.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Robert Kavlock, Ph.D., of the Environmental Protection Agency and Raymond Tice, Ph.D., of the National Toxicology Program. The funds will support automated, robotic, high-volume testing of chemicals in the environment. The results from this non-animal testing will be used to develop toxicity "signatures" that help determine how toxic a chemical is and what type of toxicity it might cause. Such information in the long run could increasingly substitute for animal testing.
Len Sauers, Ph.D., vice president of product safety, regulatory and technical relations for Procter & Gamble, explains "we believe the pioneering work of these preeminent scientists has created a promising path forward in the development of new animal free methods for evaluating the health effects of chemicals. We are pleased to be able to partner with The Humane Society of the United States in supporting this important work."
Len Sauers of Procter & Gamble and Andrew Rowan, Ph.D., executive vice president of The HSUS, will be presenting the prestigious awards at a meeting at The HSUS' Washington office.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
