SenzaGen, a Swedish developer of animal-free in vitro tests for sensitisation and the British contract testing laboratory, XCellR8, have expanded their collaboration by signing an exclusive global licensing agreement. The new agreement covers the performance, marketing and sales of SenzaGen’s new, vegan skin sensitisation test, GARD®skin Animal Product-Free.
XCellR8 is an established in vitro contract testing laboratory in Europe engaged in work to replace animal testing and related animal components with alternative methods, especially in the cosmetics industry. Today, XCellR8 works with several well-known cosmetics companies such as The Body Shop, Lush, and their suppliers. SenzaGen and XCellR8 have been in partnership since 2016 through a distribution agreement. Thanks to this new enhanced license agreement, XCellR8 will market and sell GARD®skin Animal Product-Free and perform tests at its laboratory in Daresbury, UK.
“We are happy to deepen our collaboration with Dr. Carol Treasure and her team at XCellR8. By focusing on the use of the latest technology and new research results, they are contributing to the movement towards a more ethical and sustainable testing industry. Our collaboration has resulted in further development of an existing test, adding an offering to our portfolio, which is in line with our strategy and mission to offer the best animal-free test methods,” says Axel Sjöblad, CEO of SenzaGen.
GARD®skin Animal Product-Free is a further development of SenzaGen’s existing skin sensitisation test, GARD®skin, and meets consumers’ growing demand for an animal-free supply chain. By replacing animal serum, traditionally used as a nutrient solution in cell culture, with human serum, this new test is totally free of animal components. GARD®skin Animal Product-Free has the same high accuracy and performance as the other tests available in SenzaGen’s portfolio.
“Together with our clients, we are passionate about the vision of creating a more ethical testing industry, without animal testing and animal components. Through this close collaboration with SenzaGen, XCellR8 has the exclusive opportunity to offer this accurate and innovative GARD test, free of animal components, for skin sensitisation. In the long term, this means safer and better products for all of us,” says Carol Treasure, founder and CEO of XCellR8.