Non-animal Ocular Irritation Test Adopted by OECD

Invitro Oecdtg

InVitro International (IVRO) announced its Ocular Irritection (OI) test has been adopted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and is available for immediate use globally under Test Guideline (TG 496).

OECD is viewed as a regulatory body for in vitro test methods. The method's adoption by the OECD and its 36 member countries is the result of an 11-year effort. The OI test is part of IVRO’s Irritection Assay System (IAS), which includes the companion Irritection Dermal test method for skin irritancy.

W. Richard Ulmer, CEO of IVRO, commented on OI’s globally accepted status. “It has been a lengthy yet very rewarding process to gain OECD final adoption. In 1985, IVRO pioneered cruelty-free test methods when there was not even one specific regulatory body to set standards or approve test methods anywhere in the world. Now 35 years later, OECD adoption represents the highest scientific review level for any non-animal test method.”

IVRO president, Atul Jhalani added, “In our minds, OECD’s (TG 496) OI adoption provides IVRO’s Irritection technology fresh legal and scientific credibility. With Corrositex, we now have two commercialized in vitro test methods that are globally accepted. . . We are excited that supporting our efforts will be U.S. states CA, IL and several others banning the introduction of new cosmetics starting in 2020 if they or their ingredients were tested on animals. The same Federal legislation is now pending before Congress.

"Furthermore, we believe that large cosmetics markets such as Brazil and Colombia plan to follow India, Taiwan and others with a similar ban very soon. It appears to us and many others that in vitro testing has a very bright future at the expense of animal testing.”

For more information, contact InVitro International.

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