title: Brazilian Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM) and the process of validation in Brazil.
abstract: The need for the creation of a Brazilian centre for the validation of alternative methods was recognised in 2008, and members of academia, industry and existing international validation centres immediately engaged with the idea. In 2012, co-operation between the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) and the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) instigated the establishment of the Brazilian Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM), which was officially launched in 2013. The Brazilian validation process follows OECD Guidance Document No. 34, where BraCVAM functions as the focal point to identify and/or receive requests from parties interested in submitting tests for validation. BraCVAM then informs the Brazilian National Network on Alternative Methods (RENaMA) of promising assays, which helps with prioritisation and contributes to the validation studies of selected assays. A Validation Management Group supervises the validation study, and the results obtained are peer-reviewed by an ad hoc Scientific Review Committee, organised under the auspices of BraCVAM. Based on the peer-review outcome, BraCVAM will prepare recommendations on the validated test method, which will be sent to the National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA). CONCEA is in charge of the regulatory adoption of all validated test methods in Brazil, following an open public consultation.
authors.affiliation: Brazilian Center for Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; National Institute of Quality Control in Health (INCQS/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Presgrave
authors.affiliation: Brazilian Center for Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; National Institute of Quality Control in Health (INCQS/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wlamir
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.affiliation: Brazilian Center for Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; National Institute of Quality Control in Health (INCQS/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elisabete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Quality Control in Health (INCQS/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria H Villas
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bôas
authors.affiliation: Services & Consultation on Alternative Methods (SeCAM), Agno, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chantra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eskes
mesh_terms: D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil