Toxicology & the 3 Rs Wickham Laboratories
Wickham Laboratories Limited are designated by the Home office, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986.
It is set out in this act that animals are only to be used where alternative methods do not exist and it is our policy to enforce and adhere to these principles.
- REDUCTION in the number of animals used
- REFINEMENT of the techniques in which animals are used
- REPLACEMENT with non-animal procedures
At Wickham Laboratories, we also believe in a 4th R - that of RESPONSIBILITY to our animals, society and the environment.
Some safety testing requires the use of animals where alternative methods do not exist, or are not acceptable by national and international regulatory authorities.
Wickham Laboratories Toxicology department has been running for over 40 years supporting manufacturers of medicinal products. This includes pharmaceutical products, bio-pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Consumers' expectations are extremely high with regard to the safety of products and substances they come into contact with, which demands, by regulation, more rapid, complex and stringent test protocols.
As such, all medicinal products that are manufactured in the UK must comply with safety guidelines; this is during early research stages and later, at quality control stages. There are "in-vitro" (in glass, outside of a living organism) techniques available, using chemicals and there are "in-silico" techniques which involves computers; both are created to simulate how a body works and reacts to drugs. However, these methods are not always enough as these systems tend to only show a small part of how a body would react instead of how the body reacts as a whole system.
Wickham Laboratories Ltd has the flexibility, collective expertise and latest equipment that accommodate test regulations dictated by changing compliances. As new in-vitro and in-silico techniques are developed, they will progressively replace the use of animals for testing.
Our approach is to listen and understand, we respect the animals and are committed to providing the highest levels of animal welfare.
The Toxicology department at Wickham Laboratories has considerable expertise in biological testing covering:
- Quality Control of existing products
- Registration of new formulations
- Research into new medicines and medical devices for the human and veterinary pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.