U.S. Drug Companies Save Money by Testing New Products on Poor Foreigners

[The Straight Story]

U.S. Drug Companies Save Money by Testing New Products on Poor Foreigners

Rather than expose themselves to U.S. media scrutiny, not to mention the American judicial system, pharmaceutical companies in the United States are increasingly turning to foreign nations to test their new drugs. The trend in outsourced clinical trials has grown to a $30 billion a year “clinical research organization” industry.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 80% of approved drugs in the U.S. have undergone foreign testing, but only 1% of foreign testing sites have been inspected.

Today, more than 115 countries have opened their doors to the likes of Merck and AstraZeneca, allowing them to conduct clinical trials on the poor and uneducated in Russia, China, Brazil, Uganda and Romania.

India, especially, has welcomed pharma manufacturers that wish to take advantage of the country’s professional, English-speaking class of workers, established medical infrastructure and bounty of illiterate people (40% can’t read) to use as guinea pigs.

http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/US_Drug_Companies_Save_Money_by_Testing_New_Products_on_Poor_Foreigners_110809

[montanacowboy]

1. The Constant Gardner

great movie about this kind of stuff

[jwirr]

3. Very good movie with George Clooney.

[FarCenter]

2. They'd be more convincing if they named a second US drug company instead of AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a UK company.