India scores over China in clinical research

New Delhi • India has emerged as a popular destination for clinical research, overtaking China, and is cheaper too, says a Planning Commission report.

The market value of clinical trial research outsourced to India is estimated at around $300m, with projected revenues of $1.5-2bn by 2010.

Global pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing 139 trials to India, as compared to 98 being undertaken in China, the report released Wednesday by Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.

The increased trial flow to India is based on several fundamental strengths like good hospitals, competent medical professionals, diverse genetic pool and large patient pools with diseases ranging from heart diseases, diabetes and psychiatric disorders, which are also prevalent in industrialised countries.

The cost of conducting research in India ranges between 20 and 60 percent of the cost in industrialised countries, it said. Clinical researchers, nurses and IT staff can be hired at less than a third of wages in the industrialised countries.

However, it said, though the “prospects for outsourcing of clinical research by global pharmaceutical companies look bright, there are a number of problems that need attention”. India was hampered by a glaring lack of critical infrastructure like accreditation to international laboratories and shortage of research personnel. It said “there are weaknesses in the regulatory infrastructure and the Office of the Drugs Controller is understaffed and lacking in capacity to deal with such new areas as stem cell research and GM food”.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar