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Corporate Responsibility Report 2008

Human tissue research

Research using human tissue or human biological samples is fundamental to the discovery, development and safety monitoring of GSK medicines.

It is vital that this research is conducted in a manner that respects the rights of research participants and meets legal and ethical obligations.

The UK Human Tissue Act 2004 makes consent the fundamental legal requirement for the collection, use and storage of human tissue in the UK. This was introduced in 2004 following events at Alder Hey Hospital and Bristol Royal Infirmary where human tissue was taken, used and stored without consent.

In 2008, we introduced a policy which applies the principles of the UK Human Tissue Act on a global basis for research conducted, sponsored, supported or funded by GSK. This will ensure that the stringent ethical requirements of the UK law are applied wherever research is conducted using human biological samples.