This refers to the editorial "Clinical errors" (October 28). Clinical trials for new medications are conducted all over the world but developing countries often serve as cost-effective locations. A decade ago a clinical trial could be conducted in secret. The sponsor, claiming proprietary rights, could keep all the information confidential. Now, in many countries, sponsors of all clinical trials must register their studies, at the time of their inception, in a public database sponsored by their national boards. Breaches of clinical research standards are strictly monitored. The Union health minister has admitted that 2,868 deaths took place in clinical trials. This is not a small number in clinical studies. In the West, this would attract serious consequences. The global pharmaceutical industry is under increasing scrutiny because of its failure to follow quality standards and one can only hope that it is not true for India.
H N Ramakrishna Bangalore
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H N Ramakrishna Bangalore
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201
E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number