Oncodesign Services is proud to have achieved reaccreditation with AAALAC.
Oncodesign Services is proud to have achieved reaccreditation with the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. AAALAC is a voluntary accreditation that reflects our dedication to animal welfare and our commitment to the continuous improvement of our culture of care.
To learn more about what this means in practice, we spoke with Dr. Stéphane Ployart, our Chief Veterinarian. Dr. Ployart explains how the responsibility of care extends beyond professional obligation. For him, and for the wider Oncodesign Services team, animal welfare is not simply a matter of compliance, but a shared responsibility to hold ourselves and each other to consistently high standards.
“For me, our main goal is to do the best for the animals,” says Dr. Ployart. “First and foremost, caring for them and treating them with respect is our responsibility.”
From animal care technicians and study directors to veterinarians and scientists, each team member is committed to protecting animal welfare and strengthening our culture of care every day.
Our commitment to continuous improvement.
As a pharmacology research partner, the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (the 3Rs) guide every research project we undertake.
Replacement remains an important aspiration. New technologies and new approach methodologies (NAMs), including organoids and other alternative approaches, continue to expand the possibilities available to researchers. These advances are welcomed and encouraged; however, many areas of pharmaceutical development still require the complexity of a whole living system.
“When animals can be replaced entirely in biomedical research, that will be the best outcome,” says Dr. Ployart. “But today, our industry is not there yet.”
Reduction is supported by experience. Decades of expertise and extensive knowledge of our models allow studies to be designed conscientiously, ensuring that the minimum number of animals is used while maintaining scientific integrity. Our team actively identifies opportunities to reduce the number of models required in each study and guides clients toward scientifically robust, welfare-conscious study design.
Reduction is also supported by technology and thoughtful scientific strategy. Longitudinal imaging, for example, allows the same animals to be monitored over time, reducing the need for additional cohorts while providing a more comprehensive understanding of disease progression and treatment response.
Refinement is perhaps the principle encountered most frequently in day-to-day practice. Animal wellbeing is supported through the continuous review and improvement of housing conditions, enrichment, handling practices, anaesthesia, analgesia, and humane endpoints.
“Our main goal is to ensure the animals experience the highest standards of care possible.” Dr. Ployart explains. “When animals are well cared for, the studies in which they are involved have the best conditions to generate reliable results. Primarily, this is the right thing to do, but it is also a critical part of reduction and refinement. Animal welfare is not separate from good science; the two concepts are mutually supportive.”
Scientific quality and animal welfare are intrinsically linked. Good animal welfare supports physiological stability, which in turn strengthens the quality and reproducibility of scientific data. However, this should not be the principal reason for pursuing high standards of welfare. Better science flows from a strong foundational culture of care and respect.
People are at the heart of our culture of care.
At Oncodesign Services, we believe that animal welfare is a responsibility shared by everyone involved in preclinical research, and that progress is most commonly driven by the accumulation of many small improvements over time. Ideas are encouraged from across our organization, and our internal Animal Welfare Body brings together expertise from different functions, including colleagues working in non-in vivo and non-research roles, to challenge existing practices and identify opportunities for continuous refinement.
For us, maintaining a strong culture of care means continually seeking opportunities to do better.
This philosophy extends beyond animal welfare itself. A strong culture of care also means supporting the people who work with animals. Training, occupational health, empowerment, and the sharing of knowledge across the wider scientific community all contribute to an environment of better wellbeing for both animals and people.
Ultimately, we all share the same hope that scientific advances will one day make it possible to replace animals in preclinical research entirely. Until that day comes, our responsibility is to continue to improve, challenge ourselves, and remain dedicated to providing the highest standards of care.
For more information about what it means to be AAALAC accredited, please visit aaalac.org.