Wemos Film on Clinical Drug Trials in Developing Countries

Medical experiments are being conducted on society's most vulnerable, says Indian doctor Amar Jesani in Wemos' internetfilm on clinical drug trials in developing countries.

Amar Jesani is a medical doctor from India with expertise in medical ethics and human rights. He is a founder member of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics (IJME), the Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights (CSER) and the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT).

In 2005 and 2007, Dr Jesani coordinated the 1st and 2nd National Bioethics Conferences in India. He is a national faculty member of the Indian Council of Medical Research and teaches bioethics at various Indian institutions. He also serves as a member of several ethical review committees. His work on human rights includes being a member of the former Human Rights Steering Group of the British Medical Association.

Dr Jesani and Wemos have been working together to address the issue of unethical drug testing in developing countries since 2007. This film was made during a visit of Dr Jesani to Wemos in September 2008 and produced for Wemos by Lookright films.

For more information, please contact Leontien Laterveer, Wemos Communications Officer on Medicines, on +31 (0)20 - 4352062; e-mail: leontien.laterveer@wemos.nl.

Further information about unethical testing practices in developing countries is also available in the 'Unethical testing dossier' on www.wemos.nl.

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[wemosnl]

Join our campaign for ethical clinical trials in developing countries. Go to our website and give your support.

[wemosnl]

I am shocked and appalled by these remarks. Dr Jesani has been working on human rights related issues for a very long time and is an internationally respected scholar. This forum is meant to discuss the issues of clinical trials in a factual matter, not to express abusive language. I hope the next person who makes a statement will have at least the courtesy to state his or her full name and affiliation.

My name is Annelies den Boer and I am project coordinator Medicines with Wemos.

[orangedac]

@wemosnl

By their own admission, the remarks all come from guys doing CT (clinical testing). Doing these trials constitute their livelyhood. So it will be hard to get an impartial opinion from them.

I think you are doing a good job so keep it up.

[wemosnl]

@orangedac Thanks for your message! We're now mainly focusing on raising support for our Call for Ethical Clinical Trials in Developing Countries. You can sign it at our site.

[markjartansson]

My comment on doctors without border.If they work with their heart in that particular country. But not for specific intelligence as spies And take orders from them which is about treatment of their clients, I was a victim of ill treatment of a dental technician I realy hopes they do not take their bad work to the poor country mar kjartansson 24t blog Mingler.dk

[abdulwahid1905]

We all accept the fact that drug trials should be conducted ethically in all parts of the world not just in developing countries but this video should be removed as it is completely biased and does not present the more important other side of the story.

[abdulwahid1905]

Stating that Indian regulations are lax...and that the system is corrupt make me laugh at his ignorance about the guidelines and regulations that the clinical research industry follows. O, n why doesnt he specify at what levels in clinical trials does corruption occur? Ignorant fellow wanting some cheap publicity.

[abdulwahid1905]

@orangedac You are getting all remarks from ''guys doing CT'' because we are the ones who know the facts of this drug development industry. Other people will easily get mislead by the remarks in this video.

[abdulwahid1905]

His comment that clinical trial pts in India are thosewith terminal diseases or those who dont hav access to proper healthcare is also totally TRASH,as v hav thousands of educated subjects who participate in trials for the science of it, completely aware that its a research study.Also if patients with terminal diseasesare chosen tht is only bcoz the studydrug aims for the betterment ofthe terminally ill patient e.g in cancerstudies.Does he want us choose healthy people for finding cancer trtmnt?

[abdulwahid1905]

HIs comment that doing clinical trials is cheap in India & thats why companies come here for trials is not completely true. I am sure this old fellow doesnt know the science behind conducting trials in various geographies. Let me also tell him that it was cheap years back but now cost of conducting trials in India is almost catching up with the US. His making generic statements about clinical research industry without substantial evidence is totally unprofessional and UNETHICAL on his behalf.

[abdulwahid1905]

This guy doesn't even know what he is talking about. I am a clinical research professional and have been conducting trials for a number years now. He makes it sound as if indians are being exploited. This is a completely scam video.

Some problems occur in every industry and their are blacksheep also in every industry who want to mint money buy unethical means but thats not true for the whole industry and we cannot generalize it.