Office of the Vice Chancellor for
Research

To UofI Principal Investigators,

I wanted to make you aware that the University of Illinois Policy on the Use of Expired Drugs and Materials and Use of Non-Pharmaceutical Grade Compounds in Animals has been amended to allow the use of non-pharmaceutical grade sodium pentobarbital for terminal perfusions. As you may know, the cost of pharmaceutical-grade pentobarbital has increased substantially, making its use for this purpose untenable for most studies.

The amended policy now states the following in regards to the use of sodium pentobarbital for terminal perfusions:
The UofI IACUC will allow non-pharmaceutical grade sodium pentobarbital to be used for terminal perfusion when the preparation, storage and handling procedures which generally apply to non-pharmaceutical grade drugs, are followed. The recipe and instructions for such preparation are presented at the end of this policy. Researchers intending to use non-pharmaceutical pentobarbital in IACUC protocols must clearly state that they have read this policy and will use the indicated recipe and instructions for use, and will describe and justify any planned deviations from it.

A complete copy of the amended policy, which was approved by the IACUC at its August meeting, is now available on the IACUC website. Please contact IACUC if this new policy applies to your research and you would like assistance in, or have questions about, revising your current protocol. I would like to thank Dr. Ed Roy who chaired the ad hoc IACUC subcommittee for his leadership in preparing the amended document.

Sincerely,
Phil Solter
Chair, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Review the research facility's program at least once every six months to ensure humane animal care and use;
• Inspect all of the research facility's animal facilities, including animal study areas, at least once every six months;
• Prepare reports of these inspections and submit them to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) or the chancellor;
• Review concerns or complaints involving animal care and use at the university;
• Make recommendations to the VCR related to any aspect of the animal program;
• Review and assess proposed activities or changes related to the care and use of animals;
• Conduct ongoing reviews of activities at least once a year;
• Suspend activities involving animals that are not in accordance with guidelines and requirements approved by the IACUC;
• For suspended activities, work with the OVCR to review the reasons for suspension, take appropriate corrective action, and report that action with a full explanation to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and any federal agency that funds the activity.

Members of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the University of Illinois are appointed by the chancellor and the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR). The committee comprises nineteen voting members and two ex-officio non-voting members that include:

• Two DVMs with training or experience in laboratory animal science and medicine;
• Two non-affiliated members;
• Ten practicing scientists experienced in research involving animals; and
• Seven members whose primary interests are in a nonscientific area.

View Members

Protocols and amendment requests should be sent to IACUC@illinois.edu

Main Office:

Observatory Building
Room 114, MC-193
901 S. Matthews
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-7789 (phone)
(217) 244-7963 (fax)

Dr. Phil Solter
IACUC Chair
Room 116 Observatory
(217) 333-7789
psolter@illinois.edu

Dr. Judy Van Cleeff
IACUC Specialist (Ag Animals and Wildlife)
Room 121 Observatory
(217) 265-6482
jkvc@illinois.edu

Katherine Branson
IACUC Specialist (Lab Animals)
Room 119 Observatory
(217) 265-6475
labwench@illinois.edu

Ben Hayek
IACUC Office Support Specialist
Room 114 Observatory
(217) 333-7789 or (217) 300-1960
bhayek@illinois.edu

What activities require an animal use protocol?
     View the Review of Animal Use policy.
What training do I need to use animals? 
     See the Animal Care and Use section the Training tab.
How do I make a proposal for activities involving animals?
     Visit the Animal Use Protocol section for guidance.
How does the review process work and how long will it take?
     Reviewing and approving a new protocol is a complicated process that typically takes two to six weeks.