Our Policies on Ethics
As we work to develop new medicines, our strict standards of moral and ethical conduct are guided by the help and oversight of institutional review boards, regulatory authorities, and industry association guidelines governing ethical clinical trial conduct and research integrity. Additionally, we have created our own agency to oversee our research ethics and integrity.
All Pfizer-sponsored interventional studies are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as principles derived from relevant international standards including:
The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) International Ethical Guidelines
The International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) E6 guideline for Good Clinical Practice
PhRMA’s Principles on Conduct of Clinical Trials and Communication of Clinical Trial Results
The Declaration of Helsinki
The United States Belmont report
We strive to maintain the highest ethical, scientific, and clinical standards in all our clinical research around the world. We regularly review our policies to align them with Pfizer's vision, values, and goals, and with our stakeholders' evolving priorities.
Bioethics Advisory Panel Members
Our Bioethics Advisory Council (BAC) is an external group of ethicists, clinical researchers, patient advocates, and academics. All of whom provide Pfizer with independent, expert perspectives on globally complex issues at the crossroads of research, medicine, and ethics. The panel’s guidance on emerging issues and scientific trends helps to inform our R&D planning, as well as other policies across our portfolio, and the lifecycle of our medicines. In so doing, the panel aims to ensure that the interests of the patient and the public remain at the core of our activities. The panel addresses a broad range of topics including:
- Conducting clinical research in vulnerable patient populations
- The use, privacy, and security of patient data
- Emerging access, emerging therapies, and our relationships with academic, research, and patient communities
The BAC is sponsored by Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer
Bartha Knoppers, PhD, MA, LLB/BCL, Professor and Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal (Quebec), Canada
James Lavery, PhD, Professor and Hilton Chair in Global Health Ethics Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, US