https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/928245

ICCVAM Advisory Committee Meetings

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) is a federally chartered advisory group that advises NICEATM, ICCVAM, and the Director of NIEHS about ICCVAM activities. Traditionally held in person, the 2020 and 2021 public meetings of SACATM were held virtually because of restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19.

More than 200 people viewed or participated in the Sept. 2-3, 2020, SACATM meeting, making it one of the most broadly viewed SACATM meetings ever. Committee members praised advances in use of computational methods to reduce animal use for chemical safety testing. They suggested resources and approaches that could be developed to further advance these tools and identified testing areas where they could be applied. Committee members also encouraged ICCVAM member agencies to increase efforts to advance non-animal alternatives for identifying substances that could cause cancer or other chronic toxicity outcomes, and to promote strategies for reducing animal use for vaccine testing and antibody production.

About 160 people viewed the Sept. 28-29, 2021, SACATM meeting. This event focused on detailed discussion of two topics of current interest to ICCVAM: reducing or replacing animal use for ecotoxicity testing and new approaches to validation of new testing methods. The committee urged ICCVAM member agencies to support greater communication among regulators, regulated industry, and test method developers. ICCVAM members also were encouraged to engage groups focused on environmental justice and climate change.