SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
(Photo: adapted from Charles Williams/flickr)
Over 2,600 'Human Guinea Pigs' May Have Died From Pharmaceutical Trials in India
Times of India reports on high cost of foreign pharmaceutical firms' drug trials in India
Apr 25, 2013
As many as 2,600 "human guinea pigs" died in the past seven years during drug trials by foreign pharmaceutical corporations, The Times of India reports on Thursday.
Trials for two drugs by pharma giants Bayer and Novartis "accounted for maximum number of deaths," they report.
"Serious adverse events of deaths during the clinical trials during the said period were 2,644, out of which 80 deaths were found to be attributable to the clinical trials," health secretary Keshav Desiraju said in an affidavit on behalf of the ministry of health and family welfare.
"Around 11,972 serious adverse events (excluding death) were reported during the period from January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2012, out of which 506 events were found to be related to clinical trials," he added.
According to the paper, trials of 475 drugs took place but only 17 of them were approved for marketing in India.
__________________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As many as 2,600 "human guinea pigs" died in the past seven years during drug trials by foreign pharmaceutical corporations, The Times of India reports on Thursday.
Trials for two drugs by pharma giants Bayer and Novartis "accounted for maximum number of deaths," they report.
"Serious adverse events of deaths during the clinical trials during the said period were 2,644, out of which 80 deaths were found to be attributable to the clinical trials," health secretary Keshav Desiraju said in an affidavit on behalf of the ministry of health and family welfare.
"Around 11,972 serious adverse events (excluding death) were reported during the period from January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2012, out of which 506 events were found to be related to clinical trials," he added.
According to the paper, trials of 475 drugs took place but only 17 of them were approved for marketing in India.
__________________________
As many as 2,600 "human guinea pigs" died in the past seven years during drug trials by foreign pharmaceutical corporations, The Times of India reports on Thursday.
Trials for two drugs by pharma giants Bayer and Novartis "accounted for maximum number of deaths," they report.
"Serious adverse events of deaths during the clinical trials during the said period were 2,644, out of which 80 deaths were found to be attributable to the clinical trials," health secretary Keshav Desiraju said in an affidavit on behalf of the ministry of health and family welfare.
"Around 11,972 serious adverse events (excluding death) were reported during the period from January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2012, out of which 506 events were found to be related to clinical trials," he added.
According to the paper, trials of 475 drugs took place but only 17 of them were approved for marketing in India.
__________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.