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Corporate Responsibility Report 2008

Genetic research

Genetic variation underpins many aspects of human health, such as why some people get certain diseases while others do not, at what age diseases manifest themselves and how fast they progress. In the last year, more genes have been identified for common human diseases than in the cumulative history of genetics research. Diseases for which genetic risk factors have been identified include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, several cancers, asthma and a number of autoimmune disorders. GSK researchers have led or contributed substantially to several of these findings. These discoveries, and others to come, offer promise for the development of innovative new medicines.

Individual differences in genes also affect how people respond to medicines. Differences in genes can explain why some patients experience adverse responses to certain medicines while others enjoy benefits without such effects; why some individuals require greater doses of medicines than others to achieve the same level of efficacy; and why some groups of individuals respond well to treatment while others do not. GSK scientists are using emerging genetic information to study how medicines can be differentiated to suit groups of patients with different genetic characteristics.

Successful genetics research requires close collaboration between organisations with different areas of expertise. We are engaged in a number of research projects involving academic partners, regulatory agencies and other pharmaceutical companies. Read about our involvement with the Serious Adverse Events Consortium (SAEC) collaboration.

We recognise that people have concerns about some of the applications and standards of genetic research. We aim to address these concerns by being transparent about how and why we conduct genetic research. Any genetic analysis during GSK clinical trials is only undertaken after seeking and obtaining informed consent from the patient. This procedure includes providing information on the purpose and scope of the research and who has access to the genetic research data.

We believe that the pharmaceutical industry shares responsibility with governments for helping to identify and develop policy on genetic research. We refer to guidance from national and international groups to inform our genetic research activities such as the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences.