Ethics rules to safeguard human trials

Guideline introduces review standards for life sciences, medical research

China has released a guideline that provides a uniform set of ethical review standards for medical institutions, colleges and research institutions planning to conduct life sciences and medical research involving humans.

The guideline, released by the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Monday, has expanded the scope of research requiring ethical reviews and clarified the supervision accountability of various authorities.

Officials and experts said that the release of the guideline is a timely and vital move to dismantle barriers between government departments and address ethical gray areas in research.