ICCVAM Public Forums
ICCVAM’s goals include promotion of national and international partnerships between governmental and nongovernmental groups, including academia, industry, advocacy groups, and other key stakeholders. To foster these partnerships, ICCVAM holds public forums annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders.
The first ICCVAM Public Forum was held in 2014. At the 2025 SACATM meeting, ICCVAM member Anna Lowit, Ph.D. (EPA principal agency representative) described how both agency participation and audience engagement with the event has grown over time. She noted how public forum meetings provide a venue for agencies to announce and discuss projects and initiatives. They also facilitate engagement with specific stakeholder groups such as nongovernmental organizations and method developers.
The 2024 ICCVAM Public Forum was held in person on May 20 and 21 at NIH in Bethesda, MD, with an option for remote viewing. About 40 people attended in person, and nearly 300 viewed the webcast. The program featured 18 presentations from seven of the 17 ICCVAM member agencies describing activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required. Updates were also provided on ICCVAM local and international activities. Public comments ranged from general suggestions about areas of focus for ICCVAM to specific discussions on the status of replacing animals for endpoints such as inhalation toxicity or developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Specific comments recognized ICCVAM for publication of the document “Validation, Qualification, and Regulatory Acceptance of New Approach Methodologies” and asked ICCVAM agencies to play an active role in the application of super intelligence in toxicology.
Due to uncertainty about travel and public communications, the 2025 ICCVAM Public Forum was held virtually on July 20 and 21 rather than in May as in the past. Between 150 and 180 people viewed the webinar over two days. Eight presentations provided updates on NICEATM and ICCVAM activities and activities of six ICCVAM member agencies. Five organizations submitted written comments, and six organizations presented public comments. Commenters recognized that federal agencies and stakeholders are undergoing a major transition toward NAMs that is driven by broader regulatory momentum and specifically noted new NIH policies and the 2025 FDA roadmap. However, they also noted uneven progress due to unclear guidance, inconsistent terminology, limited data sharing, and lack of standardized tracking of animal use. Organizations including advocacy groups and scientific consortia agreed on the need for better infrastructure, including training, transparent reporting, harmonized definitions, and validated methods, alongside increased international coordination. While some groups pushed for rapid replacement of animal testing where alternatives exist, others advocated a balanced approach that continues improving animal models in parallel to ensure scientific rigor and public health protection during the transition.