Platform Communication & Dissemination

Identification, dissemination and implementation of best practice in the 3Rs

A market place for 3Rs - connecting those who know and those who need to know

The "market place" concept emerged at the EPAA Dissemination Workshop (in November 2009) and as a result of an in depth survey of information needs conducted by The Center. The objective is to "trade" ideas, knowledge and information on safety assessment of products using non-animal methods where EPAA could play the role of a honest broker. The gaps identified that EPAA would strive to fill in include:

• Available test methods, their domain of applicability, limitations and potential for cross-sector application;
• Methods in development stage;
• Gaps in knowledge, or which endpoints still miss non-animal approaches;
• Attracting scientists from areas that are not necessarily directly connected with regulatory testing or the 3Rs;
• Providing platform for dialogue with regulatory authorities to facilitate acceptance of alternative approaches in a regulated context.

As there is no tool or format that would be suitable to all audiences and needs, EPAA would make available to interested parties a variety of tools with one objective in mind: getting the right contents in adequate format to the target audiences.

The "market place concept applies to all EPAA activities under all Platforms. The EPAA has now a number of "open stands" in the "market place", like the thematic reviews, 3Rs awards, post-validation workshops, data base of in house methods. Use of new web technologies and social sites would be considered in collaboration with other stakeholders and interested parties.

Thematic reviews - reproductive toxicity

• The thematic review of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) opportunities in the field of Reproductive Toxicity provides an overall picture of the state-of-the-art of 3Rs approaches in use at all stages of development (research, validation or regulatory acceptance). These are particularly relevant where regulatory requirements mandate the application of the 3Rs, such as during project authorization procedures required by Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, for the implementation of the Cosmetics Directive (Directive 2003/15/EC) as well as in the context of REACH. In addition to the comprehensive review of published information covering all 3Rs, this project gains a particular added value by conducting specific surveys on their current use in industry.
• The review provides updated ready-to-use information in peer-reviewed data sheets with predetermined criteria for data content as developed for ECVAM’s DataBase service on ALternative Methods (DB-ALM) that ensures the quality of the information provided. The outcome will supply regulators, users in industry and academia, in addition to the already published extensive reviews of publicly available scientific information resources also with the results of the surveys performed to assess the real use of each method in the various industries. The review is disseminated via the DB-ALM benefiting from its retrieval and search facilities. The first and principal part of the review was completed in 2011 and provides 39 Method descriptions and related information with an overall Topic Summary data sheet. This was based on an extensive data retrieval activity (more than 3200 data base search results were initially analysed covering all the 3Rs) and already complemented with the results of the first survey carried out in industry on the use of in vitro methods. In Q1 2012 the 2nd survey within industry is undertaken to cover the other 2Rs (Reduction and Refinement) in vivo methods used either as stand-alone methods or as part of Integrated Testing Strategies (ITS). This last part of the project was completed in 2012.

• 1st Questionnaire for companies On the use of non-animal methods for reproductive toxicity testing
• Final Report on Alternative Methods for Reproductive Toxicity testing - Revision and update of the sector Reproductive Toxicity
• Preliminary list of method summaries in DB-ALM section “Effects on Reproduction” with focus on non-animal models
• ECVAM criteria for data content for method summaries
• Questionnaire for the 2nd industry survey (version March 2012)
• Final report of the EPAA Survey on the Use of In vivo 2Rs Methods for Reproductive Toxicity Testing
• Overall Summary for the Thematic reviews on Reproductive toxicity

EPAA awards - attracting new sciences/new scientists to 3Rs research

• The aim of the Science award is to support the development and regulatory acceptance of 3Rs alternative methods.

 



• The aim of the Communication prize is to raise help translating technological progress into non technical language to increase understanding of the product innovation process, regulatory requirements and to inform the public and political debate about product safety and opportunities and limitation of alternative test approaches.

EPAA 2011 conference Award session

Exploring the cross-fertilization potential of EPAA inventories of methods and research

The EPAA data bases have been created as a pilot project to share and evaluate cross-sector reapplication of certain 3Rs approaches developed and validated in house. Currently, EPAA experts are evaluating the data bases of 3Rs methods used in house and ongoing 3Rs-related research programmes, to identify further opportunities for cross-sector application of specific 3R strategies as well as to identify research gaps.

EPAA data bases
Research data base – public summary report
In house data base – public summary report  

Financial Support and Endorsement of third party activities

EPAA is able to partner with other organisations by providing the financial support and endorsement of events (workshops, symposia, conferences etc.), or communication tools (such as journals, books, videos etc.) that seek to further the reduction, refinement and replacement (3Rs) of animal use in regulatory testing, and within the limits of budgetary constraints.

Criteria for Financial Support and Endorsement.

Sharing good practice

The aim of this open stand is to support creation of tools that serve the purpose to promote good practice and help implementation of EU legislation.

• In 2009 EPAA co-sponsored publication of the FELASA guide to the revised Appendix A to the Council of Europe Convention ETS123 on the accommodation and care of laboratory animals.



• Further initiatives could be considered upon request from interested parties.

EUROGUIDE On the accommodation and care of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes
(Based on the revised Appendix A of the European Convention ETS 123) (FELASA)

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