What this article fails to say.....was: India Leads in Clinical Trials

There was at least one or two articles in the WSJ back 1-2 years ago about this (see below) trend. Its not just India, but there is an increase in the number of clinical trials in China, as well. What this means is that PhDs, MDs, and technicians, administrators, staffs are being hired in those countries (because it costs less) using money coming primarily from America, and now British and other richer European countries that was previously spent in those countries to hire people there. This is all part of the job drain. Its also less costly because of loopholes in the FDA laws that require testing and clinical trials, in the USA, to follow rules, guidelines, and procedures which maximize the medical protection of the guinea pigs. In other words, the test patients are not protected by these rules and regulations. Its a double pay-off for the drug companies because they save, IIRC, about half of the cost because salaries are much lower, and the regulatory compliance is much lower. And, if there is any ultimate health benefit, it will go to THEM first. Chances are, however, considering that IIRC the past trends have been that there are as many or more drugs taken off that market because of adverse drug effects that are discovered later, foreign testing may end up being, by default, less ethical. Also, it may be that in foreign countries the regulatory environment is generally less restrictive. My reading of FDA actions in the USA is that if patient rests or considerable increased risk of serious effects can be linked to a new drug, then that drug is taken off the market regardless of whether that drug has possitive effects for large numbers of patient. Personally, I have not been able to decide if a handful of rests outweighs major benefits to tens of thousands of patients, or what, from some new drug but leaving that decision to the patient might be the proper way to do things.

I just wonder if the post below, or my response above, would be considered acceptable material for Dave Jensen's "chatroom" on his website.

In any case, there will be fewer CRO jobs for scientists in the USA as the trend described below expands.

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On Thu, 12 May 2005, leslie