Body Responsible for Animal Welfare (OPBA)

The Body Responsible for Animal Welfare (OPBA) of the IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute (INT), with Resolution No. 170F of 30/05/2014, in accordance with Art. 25 of Legislative Decree No. 26 of 04/03/2014, implementing Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, is the advisory body for INT researchers that promotes and monitors full compliance with the current regulations regarding animal experimentation in the Structures concerned and authorized to conduct such institutional activities.

Duties
The OPBA is responsible for overseeing the provisions of Legislative Decree 26/2014 and has primary and exclusive competence in the preventive control of the ethical-scientific validity of research projects involving the use of animals. In order to allow a thorough and detailed review of such projects, this Body provides researchers with a project submission form, which adheres to the ministerial model. The OPBA will communicate its reasoned opinion to the project leader and forward the request for authorization to the Ministry of Health.

Additionally, the OPBA promotes the professional development of staff involved in animal use by organizing courses in collaboration with National and International Scientific Associations.

Composition and Meetings
Its members, according to current regulations, include: the person responsible for the welfare and care of animals, the veterinarian, and the scientific expert of the Institute. In addition to these three members, INT has also appointed an expert in statistics.

The OPBA meets at least once a year, and during this meeting, it is tasked with ensuring that animal experimentation is scientifically sound, methodologically appropriate, and that the use of animals is indispensable according to legal requirements.