CHAPTER VPROTECTION OF SUBJECTS AND INFORMED CONSENT
Article 29Informed consent
1
Informed consent shall be written, dated and signed by the person performing the interview referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2, and by the subject or, where the subject is not able to give informed consent, his or her legally designated representative after having been duly informed in accordance with paragraph 2. Where the subject is unable to write, consent may be given and recorded through appropriate alternative means in the presence of at least one impartial witness. In that case, the witness shall sign and date the informed consent document. The subject or, where the subject is not able to give informed consent, his or her legally designated representative shall be provided with a copy of the document (or the record) by which informed consent has been given. The informed consent shall be documented. Adequate time shall be given for the subject or his or her legally designated representative to consider his or her decision to participate in the clinical trial.
2
Information given to the subject or, where the subject is not able to give informed consent, his or her legally designated representative for the purposes of obtaining his or her informed consent shall:
a
enable the subject or his or her legally designated representative to understand:
- (i)
the nature, objectives, benefits, implications, risks and inconveniences of the clinical trial;
- (ii)
the subject's rights and guarantees regarding his or her protection, in particular his or her right to refuse to participate and the right to withdraw from the clinical trial at any time without any resulting detriment and without having to provide any justification;
- (iii)
the conditions under which the clinical trial is to be conducted, including the expected duration of the subject's participation in the clinical trial; and
- (iv)
the possible treatment alternatives, including the follow-up measures if the participation of the subject in the clinical trial is discontinued;
b
be kept comprehensive, concise, clear, relevant, and understandable to a layperson;
c
be provided in a prior interview with a member of the investigating team who is appropriately qualified according to the law of the Member State concerned;
d
include information about the applicable damage compensation system referred to in Article 76(1); and
e
include the EU trial number and information about the availability of the clinical trial results in accordance with paragraph 6.
3
The information referred to in paragraph 2 shall be prepared in writing and be available to the subject or, where the subject is not able to give informed consent, his or her legally designated representative.
4
In the interview referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2, special attention shall be paid to the information needs of specific patient populations and of individual subjects, as well as to the methods used to give the information.
5
In the interview referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2, it shall be verified that the subject has understood the information.
6
The subject shall be informed that the summary of the results of the clinical trial and a summary presented in terms understandable to a layperson will be made available in the EU database, referred to in Article 81 (the ‘EU database’), pursuant to Article 37(4), irrespective of the outcome of the clinical trial, and, to the extent possible, when the summaries become available.
7
This Regulation is without prejudice to national law requiring that both the signature of the incapacitated person and the signature of his or her legally designated representative may be required on the informed consent form.
8
This Regulation is without prejudice to national law requiring that, in addition to the informed consent given by the legally designated representative, a minor who is capable of forming an opinion and assessing the information given to him or her, shall also assent in order to participate in a clinical trial.