Product Stewardship

Animal Testing

In common with all companies developing and marketing chemical substances, Johnson Matthey is obliged by international legislation to make toxicity information available to assure product safety for humans, wildlife and the environment. If we have confirmed that suitable data does not already exist, we always attempt to limit testing and avoid redundant studies by undertaking collaborative work with industrial partners. If in vivo studies are unavoidable, it is ensured that such work complies with applicable laws, regulations, licensing and welfare codes. Johnson Matthey only uses fully accredited contract research organisations and does not undertake any in house testing. No vertebrate animal studies are permitted to be commissioned by our businesses until a full justification has been carefully considered and approved centrally at group level.

Johnson Matthey has adopted the ‘3Rs’ approach to enhance our reliance on properly validated alternative methods which reduce, refine or replace the use of animal testing and we have increased our use of the latest integrated testing strategies (e.g. in vitro assays, computer modelling of effects and test waiving requests). New techniques are actively tracked and implemented as they become endorsed by regulatory bodies. In particular, we have broadened the application of in vitro modelling systems, such as bioavailability assessments, which permit read-across to existing toxicology data and therefore can eliminate the need for new in vivo tests.

The group is committed to 3Rs approaches and over the last five years the proportion of alternative technique studies used in our toxicity testing has increased by 40% relative to the preceding five year period. There was a corresponding decrease in the proportion of vertebrate animal studies.

The group does not manufacture any cosmetics or consumer goods and any testing needs are therefore aligned to regulatory requirements for industrial substances. Any testing required as a result of the introduction of REACH is minimised by working within industry consortia. Across all our business activities, including those relating to REACH, our governing principle is that testing should be a last resort. We always apply test minimisation strategies, such as exhaustive literature reviews, and present weight-of-evidence or other study waiving methods to regulatory bodies.

Johnson Matthey shares current public and political concern over animal testing and we only commission studies when absolutely mandated by law and if no alternatives exist. We remain optimistic that advances in toxicology science will enable us to further reduce in vivo testing while continuing to protect human health and the environment.

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