Supreme Court issues notice to government over illegal drug trials

New Delhi/Bangalore, Feb 6 (ANI): Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Government and Medical Council of India (MCI), seeking explanation regarding a petition demanding an inquiry into illegal clinical trials of untested drugs across the country.

The apex court rapped the Health Ministry and the government, demanding details on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by Swasthya Adhikar Manch, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) over undertaking of illegal drug trials by several multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Sanjay Parikh, counsel for the NGO, said thousands of people continue to face the brunt of unlawful practice.

Pointing out the loopholes in the laws, petitioner urged the court to make appropriate amendments and take stringent action against the firms that violate the norms.

"They actually indulge into this kind of illegal trials which takes place where the inform consent is violated. It is done on poor people, pregnant woman, mentally retarded people, and children. We have provided, the data which is authentic, which has come from debates of Vidhan Sabha and Rajya Sabha that thousands of people have died and thousands are seriously affected because of these trials," Parikh said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed concern on the matter and said that certain rules and regulations need to be followed while the clinical test is undertaken.

"No drug can be put to market unless you have the clinical trial but only thing is that all precautions have to be taken. There is a laid down procedures for a clinical trial for testing medicine on humans. So, it is sometimes the companies do not go by the laid down procedures when it causes great harm to the person or persons on which this test is carried on," Azad told reporters in Bangalore.

It has been noticed that profit is the prime driving force for such illegal clinical tests as huge amount of money is being paid to the doctors to conduct such tests.

As reported, several doctors in Madhya Pradesh were penalized for indulging into unethical medical practices.

Several cases of deaths and mental and physical deformity have been reported from all over the country due to these trials. (ANI)