SC issues notice to Centre on clinical trials
The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the central government on a plea seeking investigation into illegal and unethical clinical trials of drugs which are yet to be approved by the drug controller.
An Apex Court bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha issued notice on a plea by Madhya Pradesh-based 'Swasthya Adhikar Manch' that, in a large number of cases, multinational corporations were using contract research organisations for carrying out clinical trials of their drugs which are not even approved.
Senior counsel Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the petitioner NGO, told the court that, as a consequence of these illegal clinical trials, a total of 1,727 patients have died in four years from 2007 to 2010.
The central government has been asked to respond to the notice within six weeks.
