SenzaGen extends collaboration with RIFM for non-animal testing – secures new 1.5 MSEK grant
SenzaGen is pleased to announce the continuation of its collaboration with the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM). Backed by a new grant of 1.5 MSEK, SenzaGen will conduct further testing of various substances using its innovative GARD®skin Dose-Response test method to determine safe dose levels concerning skin sensitization. The grant was received in June and the testing will be performed at the company's GLP-certified laboratory in Lund.
RIFM is a large international research institute at the forefront of the safe use of fragrance materials used in consumer products. Their scientific assessments assist the consumer product industries in understanding and managing the safe use of fragrance-producing substances.
Since 2021, SenzaGen and RIFM have collaborated to advance non-animal testing and fragrance safety, with the cooperation expanding multiple times. The upcoming testing phase aims to investigate if GARD®skin Dose-Response can identify potential allergens within a specific chemical group.
“Renewed trust from RIFM highlights the strength of our ongoing collaboration and reinforces the performance and broad applicability of the GARD® technology. Our unique GARD®skin Dose-Response method remains at the forefront of research, and we eagerly anticipate delivering outcomes that advance the shift to non-animal testing and enhance product safety in the market”, says Peter Nählstedt, CEO and Group President of SenzaGen.
"One of our goals at RIFM is to conduct quantitative risk assessment of fragranced consumer products using non-animal methods. The GARD®skin Dose-Response assay shows promise as a pathway forward in deriving a point of departure without animal testing. We eagerly anticipate the findings of our new study in collaboration with SenzaGen", says Isabelle Lee, Senior Scientist, Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM).
The GARD®skin Dose-Response test method is unique, providing quantitative data that eliminates the need for animal testing when determining the concentration at which skin sensitizing substances can be used without causing allergies. This offers critical information for companies in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries, aiding in research and development decision-making.
About RIFM
Established in 1966, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) generates, analyzes, evaluates, and distributes data to provide a scientific basis for the safe use of fragrances. RIFM has compiled the most comprehensive, worldwide source of toxicology data, literature, and general information on fragrance and flavor raw materials. RIFM’s Fragrance Ingredient Safety Assessment program draws from its comprehensive database of over 80,000 references and approximately 200,000 human health and environmental studies.
RIFM assesses the safety of fragrance ingredients by the most current, internationally accepted guidelines—and has done so since its founding. The Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety, an independent, international team of researchers and academics with no ties to the fragrance industry, reviews all of RIFM’s work before RIFM submits it for peer-reviewed publication in a reputable scientific journal. RIFM makes all of its published, peer-reviewed work—current and historical—available for free at fragrancematerialsafetyresource.elsevier.com.