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Lithuanian Seimas adopts Law on Ethics of Biomedical Research

BC, Vilnius, 23.09.2015.Print version
The Seimas of Lithuania has adopted the Law on Ethics of Biomedical Research, which sets forth the requirements for the ethics of biomedical research; the conditions for the handling of human biological samples and health information for biomedical research purposes; the conditions for the activities of biobanks; the procedure for granting authorisation to conduct biomedical research and the procedure for the supervision of biomedical research, and the liability of research sponsors and researchers for the damage done to the health of the person involved in the research or death thereof, informs LETA/ELTA.

Under the law, biomedical research may be undertaken on human beings and human cadavers or their groups, a human embryo, a foetus, a human biological sample and on health information, the Seimas press service reports.

 

The law establishes that developing of human embryos for biomedical research purposes is prohibited. Biomedical research on a human foetus and a human embryo is permitted only in cases when the expected benefit for the human foetus and the embryo exceeds the potential risk.

 

The law also bans cloning of a human being and biomedical research on a human embryo and a human foetus that are destroyed after the abortion carried out at the woman's request, in the absence of medical indications.

 

The law does not permit biomedical research on a human embryo and a foetus during which or after which a human embryo or a foetus is destroyed, or when an embryo is not transferred into the uterus of a woman.

 

Biomedical research during which the human genome is modified may be conducted only for the purposes of prevention, diagnosis and treatment and only in cases when there is no intention to modify the descendants' genome.

 

The law prohibits the export from the territory of Lithuania of the tissues of a human embryo, stem cells of an embryo and lines thereof or tissues of a foetus, stem cells or lines thereof.

 

This prohibition does not apply to the import into the territory of Lithuania of the tissues of a human embryo, stem cells of an embryo and lines thereof or tissues of a foetus and the stem cells taken from them or lines thereof as well as the export from Lithuania of the tissues of a human embryo, stem cells of an embryo and lines thereof or tissues of a foetus when the stem cells are taken from umbilical cord or placenta after the birth of a child and the samples are taken for genetic research. Transit through the territory of Lithuania of tissues of a human embryo, stem cells of an embryo and lines thereof or tissues of a foetus and the stem cells taken therefrom and lines thereof shall be possible only subject to authorisation by the minister of health. The description of the procedure for authorising the transit through the territory of Lithuania of tissues of human embryos, stem cells of an embryo and lines thereof or tissues of a foetus and the stem cells taken thereof from and lines thereof as well as the description of the procedure for importing into the territory of Lithuania and exporting therefrom of the stem cells taken from the umbilical cord or placenta after the birth of a child and the samples taken for genetic research are endorsed by the minister of health.

 

The law was adopted with 103 votes in favour, two abstentions and no votes against.






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