Uncertainty surrounding the legal requirements for conducting drug trials in India has slowed trial activity. In 2011, India was responsible for $450 million worth of clinical trials. Earlier this year, India’s Supreme Court stopped 157 clinical trials, requiring they undergo review. Also, the government introduced rules making companies responsible for the injury or death of a trial subject, regardless of the cause. Trial approvals also have stalled due to a slower approval process. Numerous firms, including Quintiles and GlaxoSmithKline, have suspended or canceled trials. Indian drug company executives blame the regulatory agency’s lack of proper monitoring. Health Rights Forum contends that clinical trials exploit the poor. Companies are now moving their trials to Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Source: Financial Times