Human research

Swiss human research law covers projects involving living or deceased persons, embryos and foetuses, health-related personal data, or biological material, depending on the design. Key requirements are scientific validity, favourable risk-benefit assessment, informed consent or a lawful substitute, data protection, and ethics committee approval where required. Vulnerable participants need additional safeguards. Commercial sponsorship, cross-border data transfers and reuse of samples or data raise specific compliance questions. Participants generally retain rights to information, withdrawal and respectful handling.