Clinical trials gone awry
• In 2000, the John Hopkins University in collaboration with the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram carried out tests of two chemical compounds for treating oral cancer. These compounds had not been tested on animals first and informed consent was not taken from some of the patients. Even after public pressure, the government did nothing more than suspending research on the compounds for six months
• In 2003, Shantha Biotechnics conducted trials of a recombinant streptokinase (a genetically modified drug) and eight people died. The company did not ask for permission from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee as required by law
• In 2003, a copy of Novartis