IP laws boost clinical research training

India's clinical research industry which faces an acute shortage of skilled and experienced investigators has reason to cheer.

To meet the burgeoning demand for clinical trial professionals, institutes like the Institute of Clinical Research (India), the Mumbai-based Academy of Clinical Excellence and the Noida based Bioinformatics institute have introduced post-graduate courses in clinical research.

ICRI for instance has entered into an alliance with Cranfield University of UK, to offer an Msc in clinical research. The degree is awarded by Cranfield University which works closely with some of the leading pharma companies.

"We have 300 students enrolled in the institute at our three campuses in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Students from the MBBS, biotech and pharma backgrounds can take up the course. The course is mostly practical and at the end of it students are placed in pharma companies and clinical research," said S K Gupta, Dean, ICRI.

While the Academy for Clinical Excellence offers a post-graduate diploma in clinical research, the Bioinformatics institute offers a PG diploma in bioinformatics. Major pharma companies like Siro-Clinpharm, Ranbaxy, Quintiles, Cipla and Pfizer recruit from these institutes.

A career in clinical trial can in fact be quite remunerative. Salary levels in this industry start from Rs 2 lakh and can go up to Rs 8-10 lakh a year thanks to the demand for clinical trial professionals. "There is a huge demand for skilled clinical trial professionals. India needs 50,000 clinical trial professionals but there are only 200-300 qualified professionals," said Gupta.

With the introduction of patent protection laws in 2005, India's clinical research industry has been growing three digits. Besides the domestic industry, foreign clinical trial firms and pharma companies have been flocking to India since cost of research here is 50 to 75 per cent lower than in US and Europe. A clinical trial costs around $350 million abroad, in India it costs Rs 100 crore.

A McKinsey report estimates clinical research in India will be a $1 billion industry by 2010.