XCellR8: Funding & Business Planning for Animal-free Testing

In this project, EFA helped XCellR8 with the preparation and submission of a Horizon 2020 SME phase 1 application. This project will make it possible to assess the technical feasibility and commercial potential of a completely animal-free test for human acute toxicity.

Quote: “EFA members are driven by our needs. On a local level, as well as on the international assitance with our European funded projects”

Dr. Carol Barker-Treasure

XCellR8 Limited aims to offer the first completely animal-free test for human acute toxicity. The primary focus is cosmetic product safety but the test may also later be applied to other industry sectors including household products, agrochemicals, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. In this context, animal-free means in vitro human cell culture based methods that do not utilise any animal-derived components.

Previous attempts to develop such tests used mouse cells and animal-derived components in the culture system and therefore still ultimately required the sacrifice of animals – an approach that is not considered acceptable by many cosmetic companies or by the public. The proposed project constitutes scientific advancement, using a fully human based method to assess human safety, as well as providing ethical, financial and commercial advantages over the use of animal tests. This offers a true innovation, with an SME creating a pioneering solution that could bring a fundamental change to the manner in which cosmetic companies (and their suppliers) validate the safety of the ingredients used in their products.