AAALAC International:The Accreditor’s Viewpoint

Kathryn Bayne, M.S., Ph.D., D.V.M., DACLAM, DACAW, CAABGlobal Director

AAALAC’s Role In the face of increasing connectivity of

animal-based research across institutions and countries, harmonization of animal care and use standards and practices becomes essential. Improved animal welfare Refined animal model More reliable data

The Challenge for All…

Assurance that standards of animal care and use are comparable Dealing with potentially significant cultural,

communication, and philosophical differences Potential impact on care of animals, numbers of

animals used, research methodologies, etc.

Science as the Common Language

If the standards proposed for laboratory animal care in one country or group of countries are not scientifically based, their global acceptance will be more limited. Science is objective, verifiable, based on

facts

AAALAC Mission

AAALAC International is a voluntary accreditingorganization that enhances the quality ofresearch, teaching, and testing by promotinghumane, responsible animal care and use. Itprovides advice and independent assessments toparticipating institutions and accredits those thatmeet or exceed applicable standards.

Founding Member Organizations

American Association of Dental Schools American College of Physicians American College of Surgeons American Dental Association American Heart Association American Medical Association American Veterinary Medical

Association Association of American Medical

Colleges Association of American Veterinary

Medical Colleges Federation of American Societies for

Experimental Biology National Association of State

Universities and Land Grant Colleges National Society for Medical Research Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Association

AAALAC Founders

Recognized that consistent, high level of research animal care would benefit science

Recognized as well that input from scientists was needed

Animal Care Panel 1964 Report“As part of the scientific community, the AnimalCare Panel has been working to define theconditions of animal care which promote sound andproper animal experimentation…. The AnimalCare Panel cannot and will not proceed with thisprogram [accreditation] without the consent andsupport of the scientific community.”

ILAR Newsletter – October 1965“The AAALAC has been organized “topromote a program for the accreditation oflaboratory animal care facilities which willencourage, promote and facilitate scientificresearch which includes the use ofexperimental animals.”

AAALAC: Founded in Science, Guided by Science

Board of Trustees Member Organizations More than half represent scientific organizations Toxicology, agriculture, neuroscience, transgenic

technology, etc. Others represent veterinary medical, patient advocacy,

science advocacy and industry/academic interest groups

Approximately one-third of the Council on Accreditation hold a Ph.D.

Who Are the AAALAC BOT Members? 69 Organizations Approximately 40 represent research disciplines 17 Represent veterinary or animal sciences specialty

groups Patient advocacy, science advocacy and

industry/academic interest groups comprise the balance

Many international organizations (e.g., AFLAS, FELASA, KCLAM, ICLAS, ANZCCART)

AAALAC International Member Organizations

Academy of Surgical ResearchAmerican Association for Laboratory Animal ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association of Colleges of PharmacyAmerican Association of Corporate and Public PracticeAmerican Association of ImmunologistsAmerican College of Laboratory Animal MedicineAmerican College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Inc.American College of SurgeonsAmerican College of ToxicologyAmerican College of Veterinary PathologistsAmerican Dairy Science AssociationAmerican Dental Education Association American Diabetes AssociationAmerican Heart Association American Hospital AssociationAmerican Physiological Society

American Psychological AssociationAmerican Society for Nutrition American Society for Pharmacology and ExperimentalAmerican Society of Animal Science American Society of Laboratory Animal PractitionersAmerican Society of MammalogistsAmerican Society of PrimatologistsAmerican Veterinary Medical AssociationAmericans for Medical ProgressAsian Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Association for Behavior Analysis InternationalAssociation for GnotobioticsAssociation for Psychological ScienceAssociation of American Medical Colleges Association of American Veterinary Medical CollegesAssociation of Independent Research Institutes Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, Inc.

AAALAC International Member Organizations

Association of Primate Veterinarians Association of Public and Land-Grant UniversitiesAustralian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching - New ZealandCollege on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc.European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and AssociationsEuropean Society of Laboratory Animal VeterinariansFederation of American Societies for Experimental BiologyFederation of Animal Science SocietiesFederation of European Laboratory Animal Science AssociationsInstitute of Animal TechnologyInternational Association for GnotobiologyInternational Behavioral Neuroscience SocietyInternational Council for Laboratory Animal Science International Society for Applied EthologyInternational Society for Developmental Psychobiology International Society for Transgenic Technologies

InterpharmaKorean College of Laboratory Animal MedicineLaboratory Animal Management Association National Association for Biomedical ResearchNeurobehavioral Teratology Society Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical ResearchPoultry Science Association Public Responsibility in Medicine and ResearchSafety Pharmacology Society Scientists Center for Animal WelfareShock Society Sleep Research SocietySociety for Neuroscience Society for Pediatric ResearchSociety of Toxicology Teratology SocietyThe Association for Research in Vision and The Ornithological Council

Core Values

Animal Welfare

Voluntary

Science

Accuracy Confidential

CollegialHigh 

Quality Programs

Peer Review

Evaluation or Inspection?“…the accreditation process is a communication-intensive program of evaluation and support, stressing application of performance standards and professional judgment rather than inspection and enforcement of engineering standards.”

The Assessment Process

The four major components of the animal care and use program assessed

by AAALAC International:

institutional policies and responsibilities

animal environment, housing and management

veterinary medical care and physical plant

Lack of Reproducibility in Preclinical Research

Many of these failures [in reproducibility] have simple and practical explanations: different animal strains, different lab environments or subtle changes in protocol.

Francis S. Collins, Director, NIH and Lawrence A. Tabak, Principal Deputy Director, NIHNature, Vol 505, January 2014

Harmonization of animal care and use standards and

expectations Efforts of: ICLAS IACLAM AAALAC International OIE (World Organisation for Animal

Health) CIOMS

Proper care and use of laboratory animals (from breeding to end of experiments)

Better quality of science

No repetition of experiments

Reduction nº animals

Internat’l. recognition

Papers, funding

Efficiency

Reduced research costs,Faster development

Benefits of Accreditation Concentrates on promoting continuous improvement

to a global benchmark Performance–based (focuses on outcome measures

to determine performance) Represents a level of quality consistent with global

standards Recognized by funding sources and research

partners AAALAC is the ONLY animal care and use accrediting

body that is worldwide

Benefits of Accreditation Promotes scientific validity for publication in

international high-impact journals Minimizes experimental variability Promotes reproducible quality data

Fosters inter-instutional collaboration Keeps institutions knowledgeable and in step with

global best practices Promotes high standards and helps to raise the

global benchmark for animal well-being in science Provides the public and other stakeholders with a

positive image

Incidence of Immediate Success in Accreditation(No Mandatory Findings)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

PERCENTAGE

1986 2013

What are outcomes of accreditation?

Global nature of science International collaboration or outsourcing International meetings Peer-reviewed journals

Scientific imperative for: Reproducibility of results Transferability of results Statistical validity of data

Animal care = scientific variable Demonstrates highest tier institution

QUESTIONS?