Working Group

SETE

Joint COT and COC Synthesis and Integration of Epidemiological and Toxicological Evidence subgroup

Last updated: 04 February 2022

Aims

To review the approaches to synthesising and integrating epidemiological and toxicological evidence that are used by COT and COC in chemical risk assessments and to provide a pragmatic guidance and transparent reflection of how the COT and COC review data and apply expert judgement.

Background

There are a number of guidance documents and frameworks available on the use of epidemiological and toxicological information in chemical risk assessment, however the majority assesses these two evidence streams separately and subsequently bring them together qualitatively, using expert judgement. These frameworks and guidance documents generally provide little information on how toxicological and epidemiological data should be integrated in a transparent manner, giving appropriate weight to both. It was therefore proposed that a joint COT and COC subgroup be set up to review and make publicly available a pragmatic guidance document and a transparent reflection of how the Committees review such data and apply expert judgement.

Terms Of Reference

To provide pragmatic guidance that can be used by expert advisory committees for synthesis and integration of epidemiological and toxicological evidence, for example:

  • To review and interpret data involving epidemiological and toxicological studies
  • To review recent practices and frameworks by other expert Committees on epidemiological and toxicological evidence, with a focus on integrating the two evidence streams
  • To identify key points of current approaches and apply them to the work of COT and COC, where applicable
  • To identify and make recommendations for areas that require further work

SETE Outputs

Report and guidance document of the COT and COC Synthesis and Integration of Epidemiological and Toxicological Evidence (SETE) subgroup

Report of the COT and COC SETE subgroup: 

Guidance document the COT and COC SETE subgroup: 

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Lay Summary 

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More in this section

Agendas and minutes from the COT and COC Synthesis and Integration of Epidemiological and Toxicological Evidence (SETE) subgroup meetings

Details of Members of the COT and COC Synthesis and Integration of Epidemiological and Toxicological Evidence (SETE) subgroup