Biocides/ REACH/ CLP

ECHA’s report on regulatory applicability of non-animal approaches under the REACH, CLP and Biocidal Products Regulations, published on 22 November 2017, reveals that despite progress in the area of alternatives to animal testing, for lower tier endpoints such as skin corrosion/irritation, serious eye damage/eye irritation and skin sensitisation, companies already use in vitro tests as the default method.

But for more complex endpoints, for example repeated dose toxicity or reproductive toxicity, non-animal approaches are not yet foreseeable. Methods such as grouping and read-across or weight of evidence use existing test data to predict toxicity of substances and can therefore reduce the need for new tests on animals.

These alternative methods can be supported by in vitro tests and in silico predictions. New approaches, such as in vitro microsystems and high-throughput/high-content methods, are under development. An inventory of non-animal approaches at different stages of development and regulatory applicability would help to identify current gaps and determine future steps to enhance their use.