December 11, 2007

Alternatives to Toxicity Testing in Animals: What a Changing Regulatory Landscape Will Mean for Lawyers, Scientists, and Animal Advocates

D.C. Bar Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section

This summer, the National Academy of Sciences released its report “Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-First Century: A Vision and a Strategy.” Commissioned by EPA, the report advocates sweeping and transformative changes in regulatory toxicity testing. It envisages a shift from the current whole animal-based testing systems to testing founded primarily on in vitro methods that evaluate changes in biologic processes using cells, cell lines, or cellular components. This change is expected to generate more robust data and expand capabilities to test chemicals more efficiently. It is also expected to improve animal welfare and substantially reduce (and ultimately eliminate) the use of whole animals in toxicity testing. Applying twenty-first century toxicology to regulatory testing creates challenges and opportunities for scientists, risk assessors, environmental attorneys, and animal advocates. At this seminar, panelists examined this report, the vision it sets forth, and the forces bearing on its implementation.

Moderator:
Dr. Martin Stephens, Humane Society of the United States

Panelists:
Dr. Dan Krewski, Director, McLaughlin Center For Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa
Dr. Kevin Crofton, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Paul Locke, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
E. Donald Elliott, Esq. Partner, Wilkie, Farr & Gallagher

Click here to listen to a RealAudio recording of this event.