For immediate release
EpiOcular Eye Irritation Test, validated by ECVAM, now accepted by OECD
Ashland, MA – MatTek Corporation, an in vitro life science company, announced today the acceptance of the in vitro EpiOcular Eye Irritation Test assay by the OECD as an ocular irritation test alternative to in vivo animal testing.
This endorsement follows an extensive multi-laboratory validation study performed under the auspices of ECVAM and sponsored by Cosmetics Europe, which demonstrated the reproducibility, transferability and predictive capacity of the EpiOcular Eye Irritation Test. After two successful validations of the EpiDerm skin model for topical skin irritation and corrosion testing, EpiOcular EIT is now the third in vitro test method utilizing MatTek tissues to reach the status of an OECD Test guideline.
“Our human tissue models offer a real advantage over traditional lab animal testing because of their ability to provide reproducible human-relevant data, and EpiOcular has been used in this capacity for over 20 years,” said Mitchell Klausner, President and CEO of MatTek Corporation. “We appreciate all of the hard work from our industry partners, regulators and sponsors which has been instrumental in assuring the validity of the Eye Irritation Test method.”
With the establishment of the 7th Amendment to the Cosmetics Directive in 2003 and the introduction of REACH legislation in 2006, the European Union has prohibited testing of cosmetics and ingredients on animals creating a need for alternative test methods that provide reliable, reproducible data for the safety assessment of cosmetic compounds and formulations. With facilities in the U.S. and Europe, MatTek’s human cell-derived tissue models are widely used in the United States, Europe and Asia. EpiDerm (skin) and EpiOcular (eye) in particular, have filled this need over the past decade with validated assays for skin irritation and corrosion (OECD TG 439 and OECD TG 431 respectively) and now with a validated assay for eye irritation (OECD TG 492).
About MatTek: MatTek Corporation is at the forefront of tissue engineering and is a world leader in the production of innovative 3D reconstructed human tissue models and in vitro assays. For over 25 years, MatTek has been providing human-cell based in vitro models and test methods for the global cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries that provide superior biological relevance and reproducibility.
