[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25754-25755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10010]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Toxicology Program (NTP); Office of Liaison, Policy and 
Review; Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative 
Toxicological Methods (SACATM)

AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH).

ACTION: *COM057*Meeting announcement and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice is hereby given of a 
meeting of SACATM on June 18-19, 2008, at the

[[Page 25755]]

Radisson Hotel Research Triangle Park, 150 Park Drive, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 
5:30 p.m. on June 18 and 8:30 a.m. until adjournment on June 19. The 
meeting is open to the public with attendance limited only by the space 
available. SACATM advises the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the 
Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), the NTP Interagency Center 
for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM), and 
the Director of the NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties 
of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM.

DATES: The SACATM meeting will be held on June 18 and 19, 2008. All 
individuals who plan to attend are encouraged to register online at the 
NTP Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/7441) by June 10, 2008. In 
order to facilitate planning, persons wishing to make an oral 
presentation are asked to notify Dr. Lori White, NTP Executive 
Secretary, via online registration, phone, or email by June 10, 2008 
(see ADDRESSES below). Written comments should also be received by June 
10 to enable review by SACATM and NIEHS/NTP staff before the meeting.

ADDRESSES: The SACATM meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel 
Research Triangle Park, 150 Park Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27709 [hotel: (919) 549-8631]. Public comments and other correspondence 
should be directed to Dr. Lori White (NTP Office of Liaison, Policy and 
Review, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27709; telephone: 919-541-9834 or e-mail: [email protected]). 
Courier address: NIEHS, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Room A326, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709. Persons needing interpreting services in order 
to attend should contact 301-402-8180 (voice) or 301-435-1908 (TTY). 
Requests should be made at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preliminary Agenda Topics and Availability of Meeting Materials

    Preliminary agenda topics include:
     NICEATM-ICCVAM Update;
     Overview of NICEATM-ICCVAM 5-Year Plan;
     NRC Report: Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century;
     Presentations from Federal Agencies on Research, 
Development, Translation, and Validation Activities Relevant to the 
NICEATM-ICCVAM Five-Year Plan;
     Report on the ICCVAM-NICEATM Independent Scientific Peer 
Review Meeting: Validation Status of New Versions and Applications of 
the Murine Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA), a Test Method for Assessing 
the Contact Dermatitis Potential of Chemicals and Products;
     Report on the ICCVAM-NICEATM-ECVAM-JACVAM Scientific 
Workshop on Acute Chemical Safety Testing: Advancing In Vitro 
Approaches and Humane Endpoints for Systemic Toxicity Evaluations;
     Nominations to ICCVAM: NTP Rodent Bioassay for 
Carcinogenicity;
     Proposal for International Cooperation on Alternative Test 
Methods;
     Update from the Japanese Center for the Validation of 
Alternative Methods;
     Update from the European Center for the Evaluation of 
Alternative Methods,
    A copy of the preliminary agenda, committee roster, and additional 
information, when available will be posted on the NTP Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/7441) or available upon request (see ADDRESSES 
above). Following the SACATM meeting, summary minutes will be prepared 
and available on the NTP website or upon request.

Request for Comments

    Both written and oral public input on the agenda topics is invited. 
Written comments received in response to this notice will be posted on 
the NTP Web site. Persons submitting written comments should include 
their name, affiliation (if applicable), and sponsoring organization 
(if any) with the document. Time is allotted during the meeting for 
presentation of oral comments and each organization is allowed one time 
slot per public comment period. At least 7 minutes will be allotted for 
each speaker, and if time permits, may be extended up to 10 minutes at 
the discretion of the chair. Registration for oral comments will also 
be available on-site, although time allowed for presentation by on-site 
registrants may be less than for pre-registered speakers and will be 
determined by the number of persons who register at the meeting.
    Persons registering to make oral comments are asked to do so 
through the online registration form (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/7441) 
and to send a copy of their statement to Dr. White (see ADDRESSES 
above) by June 10 to enable review by SACATM, NICEATM-ICCVAM, and 
NIEHS/NTP staff prior to the meeting. Written statements can supplement 
and may expand the oral presentation. If registering on-site and 
reading from written text, please bring 40 copies of the statement for 
distribution and to supplement the record.

Background Information on ICCVAM, NICEATM, and SACATM

    ICCVAM is an interagency committee composed of representatives from 
15 Federal regulatory and research agencies that use, generate, or 
disseminate toxicological information. ICCVAM conducts technical 
evaluations of new, revised, and alternative methods with regulatory 
applicability and promotes the development, scientific validation, 
regulatory acceptance, implementation, and national and international 
harmonization of new, revised, and alternative toxicological test 
methods that more accurately assess the safety and hazards of chemicals 
and products and that refine, reduce, and replace animal use. The 
ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 [42 U.S.C. 285l-3] established ICCVAM 
as a permanent interagency committee of the NIEHS under NICEATM. 
NICEATM administers ICCVAM and provides scientific and operational 
support for ICCVAM-related activities. NICEATM and ICCVAM work 
collaboratively to evaluate new and improved test methods applicable to 
the needs of U.S. Federal agencies. Additional information about ICCVAM 
and NICEATM can be found on their Web site (http://iccvam.niehs.nih.gov).
    SACATM was established in response to the ICCVAM Authorization Act 
[Section 285l-3(d)] and is composed of scientists from the public and 
private sectors. SACATM advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of 
the NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and 
activities of NICEATM. SACATM provides advice on priorities and 
activities related to the development, validation, scientific review, 
regulatory acceptance, implementation, and national and international 
harmonization of new, revised, and alternative toxicological test 
methods. Additional information about SACATM, including the charter, 
roster, and records of past meetings, can be found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/167.

    Dated: April 28, 2008.
Samuel H. Wilson,
Acting Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
and National Toxicology Program.
 [FR Doc. E8-10010 Filed 5-6-08; 8:45 am]
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