A Nation of Guinea Pigs

Experimental drugs require large testing populations, which are increasingly hard to secure in the developed world. In 2005, the India government lifted restrictions on such testing by foreign-owned firms. So the pharmaceutical industry is outsourcing more trials. India has many advantages for such trials: English-speaking doctors; vast numbers of patients more willing to take experimental medication than their western counterparts; and high numbers of patients who never taken any medicine, preventing unforeseen drug interactions. Financial rewards go to doctors and hospitals who participate, and this can bolster community resources. However, India must also catch up with regulations on ethics. The government agency, equivalent to the US Food and Drug Administration, has an enforcement staff of three pharmacists. Problems include doctors who pursue personal gain, and patients who are confused about whether the doctor’s goal is best treatment or research. Most patients in India who accept trial medication are poor, often illiterate, and many don’t understand that the experiment drugs often don’t work as hoped. Pharmaceutical firms must test drugs on humans to learn about potential side effects, and they hope that outsourcing clinical trials to India will lead to new cures and profits. – YaleGlobal