Biobanking Explained: How Clinigen Supports Global Clinical Research

As the demand for personalised medicine and precision healthcare continues to grow, biobanks have become essential pillars of modern biomedical research and clinical development. These specialised facilities serve as secure repositories for human tissues, biological fluids, and cells, providing researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies with the critical materials needed to accelerate developments and deliver new therapies to patients worldwide.

The samples stored in biobanks are crucial for identifying biomarkers, understanding the mechanisms behind complex diseases, developing targeted new treatments and driving research in fast-growing fields such as genomics, immunotherapy, and rare diseases.

The global biobanking market was valued at approximately $83 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $182 billion by 2034. https: https://www.precedenceresearch.com/biobanking-market

KEY COMPONENTS OF ETHICAL BIOBANKING

Successful biobanking depends on several core principles:

Sample Integrity: Long-term preservation, robust cold-chain logistics, and proper handling are essential to maintaining the quality and usability of each biospecimen across decades.

Data Protection: Genetic and personal data must be safeguarded against privacy breaches and unauthorised use, and to meet strict GDPR and international privacy regulations, ensuring secure data management

Informed Consent: Donors must be fully informed and/or provide consent for the future use of their samples in research, ensuring transparency and accountability

Ethical Standards: Compliance with globally recognised ethical guidelines, alongside continuous oversight, helps guarantee the responsible and transparent use of biospecimens.

Together, these pillars ensure that biobanking does not just support science - it also protects the individuals who make scientific progress possible.

For more general information on biobanking, see: Global Biobanking Industry News, Insights & Resources 

CLINIGEN'S CERTIFIED BIOBANK IN BELGIUM

At Clinigen Clinical Supplies Management Belgium, we operate a certified biobank offering advanced storage facilities and sample-handling solutions tailored to the needs of clinical research. With more than 25 years of experience in biological sample management, we possess in-depth expertise in the identification, controlled collection, compliant storage, and secure global distribution of biospecimens for various clinical needs.

Our biobank adheres strictly to regulatory standards and industry best practices, certified under the number # BB190063 in compliance with the Royal Decree of 9 January 2018 governing the operation and management of biobanks in Belgium. This certification ensures the ethical, traceable and responsible management of biospecimens under our care.

We are fully committed to protecting donor rights, upholding ethical transparency, and applying the highest levels of operational integrity. Every sample managed by Clinigen is treated with respect to human values, enabling responsible medical innovation.

Clinigen’s mission is to navigate complexity and accelerate access to medicines to those that need them, whether in clinical trials, early access programs, or long-term commercialisation (licensed and unlicensed pathways). Together with our industry partners, Clinigen currently supports rare diseases in approximately 50% of all Managed Access programs delivered. For more information on biobanking for rare diseases, see: Biorepositories For Global Rare Disease Research: Biorepositories For Global Rare Disease Research: A Narrative Review - PMC

Whether you're conducting complex, multi-regional clinical trials, medical research, or advanced pharmaceutical development, our biobanking solutions safeguard the integrity, compliance and scientific reliability of your samples used for further research to deliver meaningful and trustworthy outcomes.

Discover how Clinigen’s biobanking expertise can accelerate your research and development goals. Contact our team today to learn more about our best-in-class biobanking solutions and explore our current promotional offers.