Advanced course in toxicology on reproductive toxicity testing

The avanced course in toxicology took place in the University of Antwerp, Building R, Aula s.R.004, Rodestraat 14, 2000 Antwerpen on February 9^th 2024. The theme of the meeting was “Reproductive Toxicity Testing – NAM-based Testing Approaches”.

The event kicked off at 9:00 AM with a warm welcome from the President of BelTox, Steven Van Cruchten, followed by a comprehensive overview of DART Testing by Steven Van Cruchten himself.

The morning session continued with a deep dive into the revision of ICH S5(R3) by Sonja Beken from FAMHP, Belgium. After a brief coffee break, the focus shifted to a joint session by BelTox and ETS, featuring Aldert Piersma from RIVM, The Netherlands, who explored 3R testing approaches and NAMs for reproductive toxicity testing. This was followed by a session on the qualification of alternative testing approaches for detecting MEFL according to ICH S5R3 by Sonja Beken and Peter Theunissen from MEB, The Netherlands.

The afternoon session promised to be equally engaging, featuring speakers like Nicola Powles-Glover from AstraZeneca, UK, Amer Jamalpoor from Toxys, The Netherlands, and Arantza Muriana from Biobide, Spain, who discussed the use of NAMs for reproductive toxicity testing of pharmaceuticals. Jason Manton from Exponent, UK, then delved into the application of NAMs for reproductive toxicity testing of chemicals.

The program also included discussions on alternative approaches to non-human primate use for reproductive toxicity testing by Peter van Meer from MEB, The Netherlands. The day concluded with a presentation on EOGRTS by Emily Richmond from Exponent, UK, exploring its definition, pros and cons, experience, and future outlook.