Discover our commitments to ethics, quality, and CSR
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Our values – the ETAP system
Our values represent more than just words. Excellence, Transparency, Agility, and Proximity guide our daily practices to provide you with support and accelerate the development of your therapeutic innovations.
- Excellence: We strive for the highest levels of scientific and technical expertise, maintaining high standards and performance to offer reliable, innovative solutions with strong added value.
- Transparency: Ethical conduct and open communication underpin all of our interactions. We prioritize clear and honest communication, as the foundation for lasting and trusted relationships with all stakeholders.
- Agility: We adapt to a constantly changing environment with a dynamic and proactive approach to better meet our customers’ challenges and needs.
- Proximity: We believe our strength lies in working together. Our services are founded on listening, mutual support and team spirit. We work closely with our customers to provide support and create the right conditions for success, together.
An agile, customer-centric approach
Every project is unique. With our customer-centric approach, the customer is our key priority. We develop an in-depth understanding of their specific needs and provide the most appropriate, and, where necessary, customized solutions. Our goal is to produce robust and compelling data, on time, to de-risk and accelerate your preclinical pipeline.
100% of our customers surveyed in 2024 say that they are satisfied with the working relationship with ETAP-LAB, with an average rating of 9.3/10.
Universal commitment to quality
- Developed over more than 10 years, our quality management system is certified ISO 9001:v2015 for our Nancy and Caen sites until 2027.
- We are committed to providing reliable, traceable services in compliance with pharmaceutical industry standards.
ETAP-LAB guarantees:
- Secure recording and archiving of raw data, including large files (video, medical imaging, digital histological slides) for 6 months after the end of the study
- The systematic inclusion of reference molecules in our study protocols
- Comprehensive, standalone reports that comply with ARRIVE guidelines and are published on time for your IND applications
- Compliance with European and North American standards for business practices, ethics, and regulations. The company is registered on SAM.gov (official U.S. government system) and has obtained “Foreign Assurance” certification from OLAW (Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare)
Quality is the cornerstone of our corporate culture. Our quality system covers all of the company’s processes, including its relationships with stakeholders. It reflects our constant drive for traceability, transparency, and clarity, both in the provision of our services and in all our interactions.
It is also a collective commitment to continuously improve our practices, guarantee customer satisfaction, and apply the same high standards to all our projects.
Responsible ethics and transparency applied to all our projects
Fully aware of the ethical issues around animal testing, we adopt a responsible and transparent approach, in accordance with European guidelines and the 3Rs rule.
With ETAP-LAB, you reduce your risks
Our ethical commitments
ETAP-LAB goes beyond regulations with its commitment to three key areas of refinement.
Good ethological practices and chronobiology
- ETAP stands for “EThologie APpliquée” or “Applied Ethology” in English. Ethology, or the science of animal behavior, is particularly focused on animal welfare and respect for their chronobiology and environment, thereby encouraging them to engage in complex and significant behaviors for the species.
- Over the last 35 years, ETAP-LAB has developed and expanded its “good ethological practices” to include all of its in vivo models, including dermatology and cardiovascular models, to improve animal welfare while increasing the translational value of its research.
Training and involvement in advancing ethical reflection
- ETAP-LAB has tasked several employees with actively participating in discussions with the local ethics committees to which it reports, to improve practices and ethical evaluation.
- As an active member of UAFIS, a local association that organizes training and discussion days for professionals working with animals for research purposes, ETAP-LAB also shares best practices.
Investment in the development of NAMs and refinement
- ETAP-LAB invests in the development of microphysiological systems (MPS) through the BIODIAMOND project. This ambitious project aims to develop brain-on-a-chip models for studying neurodegenerative diseases that could replace the use of animals, while improving drug candidate evaluation.
- At the same time, ETAP-LAB is investing in non-invasive imaging methods (MRI, PET, etc.) to reduce the use of animals while increasing the translational value of models.
Animal behavior remains an irreplaceable indicator in certain complex pathologies such as stroke or neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr Jean-François Bisson
VP of CELMEA and Study Director at ETAP-LAB
An inclusive work environment
ETAP-LAB has a strong commitment to CSR and promotes an inclusive work environment where every employee is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. Through ongoing awareness initiatives, transparent procedures, and inclusive management practices, ETAP-LAB aims to create a corporate culture where diversity is valued and every employee can thrive.
These commitments are detailed in an internal “Gender Equality Charter” and communicated to employees as part of company life.
