Offshoring clinical trials raises harsh criticisms

The rapid move toward offshoring drug trials has sparked controversies over the ethics involved in some of these studies, reports the Financial Times. Take for instance California's Viral Genetics, which was criticized for failing to adequately inform AIDS patients in China that they were taking part in a trial rather than taking a proven drug, or that a control arm was given a placebo rather than a standard therapy. Chinese authorities cleared the company of any wrongdoing, but the incident has been used to highlight the potential of abuse when drug companies undertake studies in countries that may not have the same kind of protections found in the U.S. and Europe. Lured by significantly lower costs and driven by a demand for more and better data, developers have been turning to India, China, Russia and Argentina in growing numbers.

- read the article from the Financial Times

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