India:Poor women fall victim to clinical trials

TNN | Jun 17, 2011, 06.29am IST

PIDUGURALLA (GUNTUR): Exactly a decade after farmers in Palnadu region sold their kidneys to clear their mounting debts, poverty-stricken women from the backward Palnadu region have fallen prey to clinical trials by a Hyderabad-based pharma company.

The clinical tests on human beings, reportedly without the requisite permission of the state government, came to light on Thursday when some of the victims fell seriously ill in Piduguralla town. Many of those who returned from the lab after the tests developed acute joint pains, swelling in arms and throat infections. Acting swiftly, district collector V N Vishnu directed district medical and health officer Gopi Naik to rush to Piduguralla and probe the incident.

"Though the pharma company promised to pay us huge amounts before conducting the tests, they paid me only 9,000," rued Shaik Bibi, who underwent the tests along with several other women in the lab in Miyapur, Hyderabad. The firm, breaking all rules, did not provide any information to the women on the nature of tests conducted on them.

"Some middlemen engaged by the company take the illiterate women directly to the lab. This has been going on for some time now," sources said.

Though the women returned home without any complications, side-effects of the pills they had consumed at the lab nearly 3-4 months back are showing now. "I was perplexed when I could not walk even a couple of yards a few days ago. Initially I thought it was a routine sickness. After going through medical tests here, I came to know that it was the result of the drug administered at the lab in Hyderabad," said Paila Dhanalakshmi.

Sources said the people selected for the clinical trials are `detained' in the lab for four continuous days. According to the women, they came across people from north Indian states also in the lab. "But we were strictly not allowed to interact with others," a woman revealed. Most of the women who went from Piduguralla are farm workers and daily wagers.

A counselling session is conducted for the selected people and later they are forced to sign on a bond before undergoing the tests. "If everything goes well after taking a tablet, the person is asked to visit the lab again after 10 days when an injection is given. Another dose of injection is administered after 10 days. We were paid Rs 9,000 for the three rounds of tests," said a victim Jakka Kumari.

"If any abnormalities in the blood samples are found or the volunteer develops complications, he/she is sent back by handing over a mere Rs 1,000," stated a weeping Kommu Karunamma.

Sources said more than 40-50 people from Adarsh Colony, Chandrapalem and Indiramma Colony in Piduguralla have been visiting the lab for the past few months.

When contacted, one of the brokers, Shaik Jameela, who reportedly took some women to the Hyderabad-based lab, shot back: "The women are selling their own blood and not anyone else's. What's the problem." She claimed that the women she had taken did not complain of any side-effects.

Meanwhile, six of the affected women are being shifted to the Guntur government hospital. "If we come across any irregularities, we will slap a case against the pharma company," warned the DM&HO.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Poor-women-fall-victim-to-clinical-trials/articleshow/8881808.cms