The Drug Safety Research Trust

Analysis

The Drug Safety Research Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Southampton. It was registered in August 1986, 40 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Drug Safety Research Trust reported income of £1.3m and spending of £2.2m, spending 179% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £4.0m to £1.3m (-69%), an average of -25% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 53%. Over the whole period it spent 121% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Drug Safety Research Trust sits at the 91st percentile: it is larger than about 90% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Association of Breast Surgery (£1.3m), The Just a Drop Appeal (£1.3m) and Seed Madagascar (£1.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 77% and investments 21%. Charitable activities took 65% of spending and raising funds 1.1%. Reserves of £6.1m would cover about 33 months of spending at that rate. It employed 26 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.