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Clinical trials claimed 25 lives in 2010 only 5 paid compensation

NEW DELHI: Rs 3 lakh – thats the price a pharmaceutical company has paid to the family of a person who died in their clinical trial. Others weren t even this lucky. According to the Drug Controller General of Indias (DCGI) records 25 people died in clinical trials carried out by nine pharmaceutical companies in 2010. Families of five of these victims received compensation for trial related death — the amount ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. Now for the first time ever DCGI Dr Surinder Singh has summoned these nine pharma companies on June 6 to question them on the amount of compensation they have decided to pay the victims of their clinical trials. DCGI s threat is clear — pay up compensation which is a mandatory part of any clinical trial or all the other trials of these nine companies going on at present or yet to start will not be allowed. The nine pharma companies summoned on Monday by the DCGI are Wyeth Quintiles Lilly Amgen Bayer Bristol Mayer Sanofi PPD and Pfizer. According to the DCGIs office the three companies which have paid up in the five cases are Sanofi Bristol Mayer and Quintiles. Confirming this to TOI Dr Singh said In 2010 according to pharma company records submitted to us 670 people in total died who were part of clinical trials. However only 25 of these deaths were drug related. The rest of the deaths were mainly because of the illnesses of the subjects. Dr Singh added that of these 670 cases treatment expenses were paid by the nine companies only in eight cases. In none of the cases compensation for trial related death were provided initially. On April 27 I directed the companies to pay up compensation in all death cases. The ethics committees of all these companies were also requested on April 29 to recommend the amount of compensation. So far only in five of the 25 deaths financial compensation for deaths have been are being provided by the companies Dr Singh added.

                                                                                                               
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