NOTOX's policy for the use of experimental animals in product safety testing 

NOTOX recognises the importance of today's concerns about the use of experimental animals in research, and reaffirms its own responsibility to conform to the legal and moral obligations that they impose.

We embrace the need to minimize the numbers of experimental animals employed in our studies, to maintain the animals in top grade facilities, and to only employ techniques that are legal and acceptable to our peers in the scientific and regulatory communities. 

We facilitate and train our study directors and biotechnicians to handle all animals with care and consideration, and minimize any possible stress that may be affecting the animals' welfare or the scientific integrity of the experiment. 

We encourage any initiatives on the 3Rs (replacement, reduction or refinement of animal testing) and advocate the principles of the 3Rs by integration in our procedures.  We encourage  replacement of in vivo-studies with authority-approved experiments that do not use animals. We employ a number of in vitro-test methods and in silico tests, and always  evaluate these as possible test procedures before proposing in vivo-studies to sponsors.

We perform a weight of evidence analysis by evaluating all available information including in vitro- and in silico-data before a decision on any in vivo-testing is made. Moreover, in case in vivo-studies are required, NOTOX evaluates the latest scientific insights considering the 3Rs for use within a GLP environment of regulatory testing. This may lead to reduced numbers of animals used or refinement of the experiment, for example, by continuous monitoring and optimizing of analgesia/anesthesia.

We ensure that all studies involving animals are subjected to ethical review and approved by the Animal Ethical Committee before initiation.