ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 30, Supplement 2

ECVAM's activities on biologicals

ATLA 30, Supplement 2, 125-128, 2002

Marlies Halder,1 Michael Balls,1,2 Coenraad Hendriksen3,4 And Klaus Cussler5

1ECVAM, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, European Commission Joint Research Centre, 21020 Ispra (VA), Italy; 3National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; 4Netherlands Centre Alternatives to Animal Use (NCA), Utrecht University, Yalelaan 17, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; 5Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany

SUMMARY

This paper summarises key activities initiated and the progress achieved between April 1993 and June 2002 in implementing the Three Rs in one of ECVAM's priority areas -- the production and quaiity control of biologicals. These have included: organising nine key workshops; financially supporting and/or participating in a number of prevalidation and/or validation studies; financial contributions and sponsorship to relevant international workshops, symposia and conferences; and financial support for the compilation of manuals and expert reports, and training in test methods. The paper complements the papers of Hendriksen et al. and Cussler et al. included in these proceedings.

Keywords: alternative methods, biologicals, ECVAM, prevalidation, quality control, Three Rs, validation