LOK AYUKTA MOVED ON CLINICAL TESTS

A complaint against Research Ethics Committees has been filed in the Lok Ayukta here on Wednesday alleging that it had failure in regulating and monitoring clinical trials undertaken by pharma labs in the city

Banjara Hills resident M.S. Swamy Chowdhry moved the complaint accusing the Research Ethics Committees of not complying with ethical values and scientific standards in the development of a research community and clinical trials. He alleged that it was not working according to the research protocol before giving permission/proposals to pharmacies and medical laboratories.

The complainant alleged that there were eight labs in the city that had failed to follow the set of practices required to certify a new drug molecule as safe and efficacious for the market.

“The US Food and Drug Administration raided GVK Lab at Ameerpet and seized around 700 tablets for not following the drug protocol of clinical trials and putting the lives of patients at risk,” he said adding that the Research Ethics Committees and State Drug Controller should monitor the clinical trials of untested drugs at labs.

“Clinical trials of untested drugs on humans require certain mandatory standards to be followed at labs which are not being followed. They are also doing plasma studies which is against the protocol. I am a victim of Vimta Labs, Cherlapally. A drug was tested on me and I am getting frequent chest pains. My complaint is pending with the human rights commission,” Mr Chowdhry said in his complaint to the Lok Ayukta.