China FDA signs MOU with US laboratory to Promote Non-Animal Testing Methods in China

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), a subordinate agency of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). The two organizations will work collaboratively on a number of projects focused on cosmetic safety testing designed to promote in vitro (non-animal) techniques in China.

In November 2013, IIVS held a week long training workshop at the NIFDC laboratory in Beijing to teach in vitro techniques for cosmetic safety testing to Chinese regulators including those from provincial agencies. Under the new memorandum, the NIFDC will coordinate with IIVS to hold an annual training workshop titled "Techniques for In Vitro Assays for Cosmetics Testing". Additionally the NIFDC agrees to participate in validation projects of new models or techniques developed within China.

The MOU was signed by Dr. Wang Youchun,  Deputy Director-General of NIFDC and Erin Hill, Co-founder and Vice President of IIVS. "The NIFDC has a great responsibility to introduce in vitro techniques to a large number of regulators within China" states Ms. Hill. "IIVS is honored to assist them in achieving this goal. Additionally our expertise in validation projects will be helpful as new in vitro methods are developed within China."

Since 2012, the Institute for Food and Cosmetic Control (IFCC) within the NIFDC has been responsible for the testing of cosmetics for pre-market approval, post market surveillance, and investigations in response to consumer complaints. A new in vitro laboratory is currently under construction which will be used for, among other things, hands-on training. Dr. Wang Gangli, Director of the IFCC commented, "With our expanded laboratory space and support from IIVS experts, we will be able to organize workshops to train many more scientists within China on the use of in vitro methods for testing of cosmetics."

Following the signing ceremony IIVS visited the laboratories of the NIFDC center responsible for the testing of drugs; the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs (NCSED). The center Director, Dr. Wang Jufeng, and staff discussed potential collaborations and uses of in vitro methods in the evaluation of drugs within China.

About NIFDC: NIFDC areas of responsibility cover quality control of pharmaceutical products, biological products, medical devices, food, healthy food, cosmetics, reference standards, laboratory animals, and drug safety evaluation. The Institute for Food and Cosmetics Control (IFCC), an internal institute of NIFDC, is responsible for safety evaluations of food, healthy food and cosmetics.

About IIVS:  IIVS is a non-profit laboratory based organization with a mission to advance the use and regulatory acceptance of in vitro testing methods.  IIVS provides laboratory testing services to industry as well as training and educational programs. www.iivs.org

SOURCE Institute for In Vitro Sciences