Feasibility of the extended one-generation reproductive toxicity study (OECD 443)

The extended one-generation reproduction toxicity study (OECD 443, adopted 28-July-2011) produces more information with fewer animals than the two-generation study (OECD 416), by including F1 neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity assessments, and omitting an F2 generation if there are no relevant F1 findings. This saves >1000 animals per compound. Feasibility studies based on draft OECD443 were conducted in industrial GLP laboratories in Europe and USA, using vinclozolin, methimazole and lead acetate. A fourth study was conducted with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in response to a regulatory request for reproduction and developmental neurotoxicity data. The studies effectively profiled vinclozolin as an anti-androgenic developmental toxicant, methimazole as a developmental anti-thyroid agent, and lead acetate as a systemic and developmental toxicant. The 2,4-D study demonstrated the value of toxicokinetic data in dose setting and data interpretation. These results illustrate the variety of reproductive and developmental endpoints which can be captured in this complex but manageable study design. Time constraints for triggering further (F2) testing are summarized.