ECEAE works with QSAR company to help reduce animal tests under REACH

The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), is collaborating with the Estonian QSAR company Molcode in an effort to reduce animal tests under REACH, the EU chemical testing programme. In an exciting partnership, the ECEAE is submitting information on Molcode’s QSAR computer model to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) for each relevant animal testing proposal submitted by companies. The testing proposal system is the 45 day comment window where external parties can submit information (including alternatives to animal tests) on the chemical in question. It is hoped that ECHA will accept the model for some chemicals and therefore prevent animal testing from taking place.

Molcode is an Estonian QSAR company who produce a Toolbox of QSARs relevant for many animal tests under REACH. The computer based QSAR model works by looking at the 3D structure of the chemical of interest and calculating how similar it is to other chemicals in its database. It then predicts how toxic the chemical is likely to be based on information on the other chemicals. Molcode has data on over 100,000 chemicals in their computer system and many of these models are validated according to OECD principles, which is important for the acceptability of the model.
 

Dr Carlotta Casalegno, the BUAV’s regulatory toxicology advisor (the UK member organisation of the ECEAE) stated that: “We are delighted with the new collaboration. Both organisations have a shared objective to reduce the amount of animal testing under REACH. By collaborating with Molcode we can provide ECHA with the direct tools they need to prevent some of these animal tests taking place.”

Molcode web site: http://www.molcode.com/