 Going Global for Ethical Research:
PCRM Assumes Leadership of the International Council
on Animal Protection
PCRM scientists are taking the lead in an international effort
to end chemical tests that kill tens of thousands of animals every
year. In May, PCRM was elected Secretariat of the International
Council on Animal Protection in OECD Programmes (ICAPO).
 The OECD
(the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), headquartered
in Paris, is an international regulatory body with 30 member countries
from North America, Asia, and Europe. A major function of the OECD
is to internationally harmonize toxicity Test Guidelines and programs,
which often involve animals. ICAPO uses its standing at OECD to
advocate for policies that will reduce the number of animals used
in chemical tests and eliminate tests that have non-animal alternatives.
The OECD’s international testing program is very similar
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) High
Production Volume Chemical Challenge Screening Program. Animals
are force-fed industrial chemicals to measure lethal doses, and
in some tests pregnant animals are poisoned to determine if the
chemicals cause birth defects. This program kills tens of thousands
of animals each year in cruel experiments that do not help protect
human health or guard the environment against chemical hazards.
The policies PCRM promotes through ICAPO will reduce or eliminate
animal experiments involving chemicals with little likelihood of
human exposure and expand the use of “structure activity
relationships,” which allow for toxicity information from
one chemical test to be extrapolated to similar chemicals. ICAPO
also strongly advocates for the adoption of in vitro Test
Guidelines to replace animal-based guidelines.
PCRM staff experts
Chad Sandusky, Ph.D., director of toxicology and research, Megha
Even, M.S., research consultant, and Kristie Stoick, M.P.H., research
analyst, bring a wide range of scientific knowledge and technical
experience to ICAPO.
Dr. Sandusky traveled to Tokyo in December
2005 to attend the 14th annual meeting of the OECD’s Task
Force on Existing Chemicals. Dr. Sandusky played a crucial role
in encouraging the OECD to continue to use existing chemical data
and computer modeling, instead of recommending new animal tests,
on the chemicals reviewed at the meeting. At this and other international
regulatory meetings, ICAPO’s
presence was crucial in influencing animal testing discussions,
including the deletion of current Test Guidelines involving animals
as modern, non-animal ones have been adopted.
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