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. SACATM is directed by its charter to meet at least once each fiscal year.
The September 17–18, 2024, SACATM meeting was held at NIH in Bethesda, MD. About 40 people attended in person and over 100 people viewed each day of the webcast. Advisory committee members were briefed on federal government and international activities to support validation of new methods, including new ICCVAM guidance on validation, establishment of the Method Developers Forums, updates to OECD guidance on validation, and launch of the NIH Complement-ARIE program. Advisory committee members welcomed the publication of the ICCVAM guidance and encouraged continued progress on the other activities. The other focus topic of the meeting was DNT testing, and scientists from NIEHS, FDA, EPA, and the European Food Safety Authority presented on advances in the use of NAMs for this endpoint.
The September 11–12, 2025, SACATM meeting was hosted at NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, NC, and presented virtually. The meeting attracted over 300 viewers on the first day and nearly 200 on the second day. Many of the presentations at this meeting focused on recently announced initiatives by NIH and FDA to support implementation of NAMs in research and regulatory contexts. Advisory committee members welcomed these efforts and agreed that they would support efficiency in method validation. Data standards and harmonization were both noted as key to this effort. Updates were also provided on development of online tools such as the Collection of Alternative Methods for Regulatory Application, NIH Integrated Chemical Environment, and NICEATM-developed apps for predicting skin sensitization potential. A session on “ICCVAM Public Outreach and Education” presented retrospectives of the scope and impact of the ICCVAM Public Forum meetings and ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinars, as well as a summary of NICEATM training and outreach activities during 2024 and 2025.