Testing Drugs on India's Poor

theodp writes to tell us Wired is reporting that a lot of medical research firms are using India's poor as a hot test bed. From the article: "The sudden influx of drug companies to India resembles the gold rush frontier, according to Sean Philpott, managing editor of The American Journal of Bioethics. 'Not only are research costs low, but there is a skilled work force to conduct the trials'"

Comments

Wait

[nizo]

So now we are outsourcing the jobs of lab animals to India?? And I shudder to think what the "No Indian testing" label will be in Europe (maybe a big hand patting a meditating guru on the head?)

Re:Wait

[keezer]

PeTA ought to be thrilled. If we test on less fortunate human beings, that means fewer animals have to suffer.

Re:Wait

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you kidding? The unemployment rate for lab rats will skyrocket! How are the poor rats supposed to feed their kids? WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE RAT CHILDREN?

Re:Wait

[hackstraw]

PETA stands for "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals".

They don't care about humans except for arguably pretty, rich, famous ones that wear animal skins.

From my dead, cold back, waste, and hands will they take my leather coat, leather belt, and cheeseburger. People are so much weirder than "animals".

Re:Wait

[kraut]

> Yeah it's all the corporations fault.

Damn right it is. Like global warming, it's all down to those greedy capitalists exploiting the environment. Nothing to do with me driving my kid to school in my nice new SUV, is it?

Re:Wait

[Anonymous Coward]

That's OK. Can you say non-beef hot dog. :)

Re:Wait

[seriesrover]

Holy crap...at least that explains my confusion. I always thought PETA stood for "People who Eat Tasty Animals".

Re:Wait

[Forbman]

The US/FDA COULD refuse to accept or deny the right to sale to any drug that is tested without adhering to the same restrictions/rules that they would have to in the US. Test subjects would still be cheaper, but at least there would be incentive for treating these people decently.

They already do. There are any number of drugs that are available in Europe, Canada, Japan, etc., that haven't been approved by the FDA, and some that have been banned by the FDA.

You would think that an approved medication in Europe or Britain would automatically gain approval in the US, but no.

I can see that the big benefit to the Pharmas is being able to do more Phase I (i.e., does it kill you/LD50) and Phase II trials (does it have medical benefit) with much less interference from university review boards, for one.

Besides, what exactly is an "informed" decision?

Dr: This is an experimental drug. In rats, it has been shown to kill off the kind of tumor you have rather well. But we haven't tested it on...

Me: Ok, I'll take it.

Dr: But...OK. Here you go.

Me: Mmm! It tastes like almonds...can't breathe...gasp cack...

This is the best idea I have heard in months

[Sexual Asspussy]

Bill and Melinda Gates should get in on this. America's own Tuskeegee experiements proved the scientific worth of experimenting on the poor. Cheers all around.

Pff..

[iSeal]

So first they took away our call centers... Then they took away our IT jobs... Now they're taking our priviledge to test dangerous drugs on the poor and destitute?

Damn you trained and abled Indian workforce!

Re:Pff..

[Surt]

I have a (male) friend who did that too. As a bonus he can code faster than anyone I know using his third arm.

outsourcing

[jimbolauski]

I guess India's poor cost less to test on the the US bunny rabbit, I for one can not believe companies would take away jobs from som many bunnies I can't even imagine how bunnies can take care of their large families.

The Miracle of Birth: The Third World

[Tackhead]

> Wired is reporting that a lot of medical research firms are using India's poor as a hot test bed.

The Miracle of Birth, Part 2: The Third World

Mom: Come on, now. Out you go. Now, uh, Dalip, Bhim, Harinder, Ajit, Indra, Mandeep, it is being past your bedtime.
Kids: Oh, mother!
Mom: Now, not to be arguing! Lakshmi, Sita, Gita, Surinder...
Dad: Wait! I have something to be telling whole family.
Mom: Oh, quick - please to be going and getting the others in, Pradeep.
Kids: What could it be being?
Dad: The call center is closed! There is to be no more work. We are now to live among the untouchable.
Kids: [whispering among themselves]
Dad: Come in my little loves, I am having no option but to be selling you all for scientific experiments.

(Dad goes on to blame the Anglican church for not standing up to the (bloody) Catholics (who are to be filling up the whole world with children they cannot afford to be bloody feeding) when it came to talking about contraception in the UN and WHO forums on overpopulation, and the whole family breaks out into song... You know the rest.)

There are Jews in the world, there are Buddhists,
Anglicans and Catholics, and then,
There are those that outsource to Mohammed, but
I've never been one of them...

"Skilled work force"?

[Hamster Lover]

Not only are research costs low, but there is a skilled work force to conduct the trials.

Umm, so essentially their skill is they're sick and need drugs? Talk about a back handed compliment. Well, Rahim, you have just the skills we're looking for, Leprosy.

Animal rights activist sheer!

[ZeroExistenZ]

In other news: No more animals are used for testing, all animal rights activist rejoice!

Trinity

[955301]

I know her as well, and it's been a real boon for her. Turns out her second head can control it almost entirely so her grades are unnatural. And don't let her challenge you to a game of twister.

From bad to worse

[Tablizer]

I remember the good 'ol days when laid-off outsourced american programmers would get the guinneypig jobs. Now those are gone too :-)