HAZARD ASSESSMENT & IATA
PROVISION OF KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION . 5
Physiologically Based Kinetic Models The development of the guidance document on the characterisation, validation and reporting of physiologically based models for regulatory applications is advancing. This project is a joint initiative between the Working Party on Hazard Assessment and the Extended Advisory Group on Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics. The document was submitted to the Working Party on Hazard Assessment and the Extended Advisory Group on Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics for commentsin June 2020. A second commenting round is organised for October 2020 and it is expected to be published by the end of 2020.
Priority Setting The development of a document to capture international best practices for identification of priorities for risk assessment was initiated in January 2018. This project commenced with a survey of priority setting frameworks and tools used in countries. The document is undergoing review and declassification and is expected to be published by the end of 2019.
QSAR Toolbox Version 4.4 of the QSAR Toolbox was released in February 2020 along with an updated website: qsartoolbox.org. New features of the QSAR Toolbox version 4.4 include:
New Simplified Toolbox interface to introduce new users to the Toolbox. New Toolbox Repository allows third-parties to develop their own extensions and make them available to the whole Toolbox community. o It includes the ECHA REACH extension for including REACH data in Toolbox reports, Japan’s KAshinhou Tool for Ecotoxicity (KATE) and VEGA models New automated workflow and custom profiler for Skin sensitisation for Defined Approaches purposes The latest EPISUITE model versions
To fix some bugs, Version 4.4.1 of the QSAR Toolbox was released in April 2020. A virtual meeting of the QSAR Toolbox management group will be held on 19-20 November 2020 in order to discuss the next development period of the QSAR Toolbox.
Adverse Outcome Pathways Knowledge Base (AOP-KB) The European Commission – DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), the US Environmental Protection Agency and the OECD Secretariat work together on the development of the AOP Knowledge Base (AOPKB) v2.0. The project will proceed in three phases: a) Requirements capturing, b) System specifications, and c) System development. The AOP Framework-related survey was launched by the European Commission’s JRC in August 2019 and the main findings were presented in a dedicated webinar organised by the Secretariat on 16 July 2020. The findings will also have an impact on the design of AOP-KB 2.0 (e.g. in terms of quantitative aspect of the AOPs, good integration of the various elements, intuitive visualisation). Some interviews have already been conducted to gain feedback from all kind of users (i.e. developers and users of AOPs) that will continue until end of 2020 and it will then conclude the requirments capturing phase.
