About USTH - Research Ethics Committee

The University of Santo Tomas Hospital - Research Ethics Committee (USTH-REC)

formerly University of Santo Tomas Hospital – Institutional Review Board (USTH-IRB) is

a committee mandated to review ALL research studies involving UST Hospital patients,

personnel, human material (tissue, blood, urine, etc.), data, records, and facilities.

As stated in the International Council on Harmonization (ICH-GCP), Institutional Review

Board (IRB) is an independent body constituted of medical, scientific, and non-scientific

members, whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the rights, safety and well-

being of human subjects involved in a trial by, among other things, reviewing, approving,

and providing continuing review of trial protocol and amendments and of the methods and

materials to be used in obtaining and documenting the informed consent of the trial

subjects. IRB can also be called independent ethics committee (IEC) or Research Ethics

Committee (REC).

The USTH-REC as an independent reviewing body executes its decision free from bias

and influence from the investigators, sponsors, and institutions. Special attention should

be paid to trials that may include vulnerable subjects.

Conduct of research shall only be initiated once an approval is granted.

The USTH-REC operates in accordance with national and/or local regulations as well as

with ICH-Good Clinical Practices (GCPs) guidelines.

In 1980, the Pharmacy, Therapeutics & Research Committee (PT&RC) was formed under

the directorship of Dr. Gregorio Moral. Although it was called Institutional Review Board

(IRB), the role was performed by the PT&RC. Research protocols and clinical trials

passed thru the PT&RC at that time. In 1998, it was split into two: the Pharmacy &

Therapeutics Committee (P&TC) and the Institutional Review Board.

In May 2005, the IRB was assigned at the 4th Floor Clinical Division Building of the UST

Hospital under the chairmanship of Dr. Maria Graciela M. Garayblas-Gonzaga.

In September 2010, Dr. Wilson L. Tan De Guzman was assigned as the USTH-IRB

Chairman with its new office located at the 6th Floor Research Complex Clinical Division

Building of the UST Hospital.

In September 2018, after the resignation of Dr. Tan De Guzman, Dr. Josephine M.

Lumitao was appointed as the USTH-IRB Chairman.

In February 28, 2019, USTH-IRB was renamed to University of Santo Tomas Hospital –

Research Ethics Committee (USTH-REC), with Dr. Josephine M. Lumitao as its REC

Head up to present.