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Are some International Pharmacology Industries murderous? Indian children used as guinea pigs
Economics / globalisation * International * News

The death of 49 children during some clinical trials in one of the most prestigious public centres in India has forced the initiation of an investigation on complaints that the multinational pharmaceutical companies will take advantage of facilities that offers this country to use its people as "guinea pig ". At least 49 children have died since January 2006 in 42 experiments carried out by the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, in English) on a total of 4,142 children, of whom 2,728 children a year. The AIIMS has provided this information in response to a request of the NGO Uday Foundation, whose chairman, Rahul Verma, gave the alarm that led the Ministry of Health to ask eight days ago an investigation into these deaths. In the event that Verma has added the expert pharmaceutical Chandra Gulhati, editor's contract of Medical Specialties, which took over gaps and opacity in response dell'AIIMS. Children of one year Gulhati placed emphasis on tests carried out on children, two medicines for hypertension of the Swiss Novartis. "These medicines, Valsartan and Olmersantan, prescribe to persons greater than 18 years; are contraindicated for children," he assured pharmacologist. "How can try on children one year? Not only is not ethical but also outrageous," he denounced. Gulhati was asked if by chance hypertension is a common problem in children in India. " "Why, if not, why do the tests in India and put his children in danger without any benefit? Indians because children are used as guinea pigs?" The suspected Gulhati are based on the fact that for drugs already tested there are generic Indian and can not be patented in this country, where clinical trials are infinitely cheaper than in the West and the consent of parents illiterate easier to obtain. Poverty and ignorance "It 'obvious that these experiments are (in India) to extend patents in the West without any benefit for India," he concluded. Foreign companies, has aggiuntò, "are simply taking advantage of poverty and ignorance that's in India". The controversy has helped the vagueness of dell'AIIMS answers to questions about which segments of the population have been used in the tests, what information they have received their parents, such disorders complained children who have participated or if they were obtained permits necessary for it . "If the parents can not read and write, you expect that to understand the implications of these experiments?" He protested Verma. The AIIMS has also denied having chosen patients to lower classes who are using this large audience, one of the few of Delhi. While waiting for the official result of the investigation, Verma said he had brought his complaint to the National Commission for Human Rights "because ascertain if there were violations of human rights".

Source: www.rebelion.org