Korean Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (KoCVAM)

The Korean Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (KoCVAM), was established in 2009 as part of the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) (reorganized from the previous National Institute of Toxicological Research) under the Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA). In March 2013, the KFDA was also restructured and renamed as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

NIFDS describes the establishment and objectives of KoCVAM as follows:

“The center was founded based on the Laboratory Animal Act of Korea to formulate and implement policies for promoting alternative test methods.”

“KoCVAM seeks to institutionalize alternative methods through various activities to build cooperative relationships with both domestic and foreign organizations and to review and validate proposed alternatives. KoCVAM also intends to keenly respond to these global trends by introducing globally promoting alternative test methods developed by Korean organizations.”

KoCVAM activities include:

• Providing policy support regarding the development and acceptance of alternative test methods that replace animal testing
• Executing validation and peer review of new and revised alternative test methods and proposing related guidelines
• Building cooperation with both domestic and foreign organizations (e.g., ECVAM, ICCVAM, and JaCVAM) and participating in international collaborative studies
• Providing education & training and information regarding alternative test methods

KoCVAM became a member of the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods (ICATM) on March 8, 2011. Other members of ICATM are ICCVAM, EURL ECVAM, JaCVAM, and Health Canada.

The Director of KoCVAM changed from Dr. Soon Young Han to Dr. Won Keun Seong in June 2013.

Center of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics (CAMSEC)

CAMSEC, established in Korea in 2013, was founded “to develop reliable new alternative test methods for animal experiments.” CAMSEC is sponsored by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and will work with KoCVAM in the field of alternative safety testing methods for cosmetics. Dr. Young-Jin Chung is the director of CAMSEC.

CAMSEC hosted its first international symposium in Seoul in July 2013, which covered issues related to the international validation of alternative test methods.