Japanese animal lab test guidelines set

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's laboratory animal test guidelines have been completed in accordance with the enforcement of the law concerning Animal Protection and Management based on the international harmonization of the laboratory animal test principles of "3Rs," namely: refinement, reduction and replacement; Marketletter March 20).

The guidelines are designed to reduce the number of animals to be used for medical research and testing and alleviate test animals' pain. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has also drafted the same kind of guidelines because animal test facilities, for which the guidelines are used, are different from those under the jurisdiction of the MHLW. The MHLW controls animal testing units within national hospitals and has jurisdiction over those of drugmakers and private research institutes, while the MOE is responsible for national and private universities.

Guidelines for Clinical Research on Human Stem Cells were also approved. These define the principle of clinical research on human stem cells, the role and function of research systems on these and the means of collection and preparation of human stem cells.