Opinion on the Importance of Sharing Toxicologic Pathology Data for Educational and/or Scientific Purposes

Sharing pathology data is critical for educational and scientific purposes. Since most pharmaceutical or (agro)chemical companies outsource nonclinical safety assessment studies to contract research organizations (CROs), the pathology data of those studies are not owned by the investigator but is the legal property of the respective company sponsoring the work. Although some companies have installed policies that govern sharing of pathology data, many companies generally do not allow the external use of data by either the CRO-based study pathologist or the sponsor pathologist. Policies for governing the external use of data vary significantly. In this article, we present an overview of the different approaches taken across different companies (CROs, pharmaceutical/chemical companies, or other institutes) for sharing pathology material for educational and/or scientific purposes. The results of a survey and interviews with legal departments of different companies will be presented (anonymously) and discussed. In addition, the importance of sharing pathology data is addressed, as well as the challenges and opportunities this presents. Suggestions will be provided regarding what material should be made available and what will be needed to achieve agreement for this to happen.