Response to India’s new tough law on regulations.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: As a result of India cracking down on its regulations for foreign agencies and companies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has suspended all its clinical trials in India for the time being.
The NIH is the top medical research center in the US, and is largely considered the foremost health-related research institute in the world. The NIH, however, is not alone in its decision to look in places other than India for clinical research opportunities. Several private sector companies and agencies have pulled out of the country in direct response to its new laws and regulations that make it harder for them to conduct business.
An NIH spokesperson said, “The NIH hopes that future changes will enable studies to resume, and that we will be able to continue collaborations with colleagues in India for the mutual benefit of our citizens.”
Similar views were also voiced at the US-India Bio-Pharma and Health Care Summit in Boston earlier this year.
Just one month before the NIH’s suspension of activities in India, a report that was made for the USA India Chamber of Commerce, which is based in Boston, singled out India’s clinical trial policies as a potentially major hindrance to the country’s goals of expanding its already quite substantial pharmaceutical sector. While currently an $18 billion dollar industry, projections state that it’s expected to grow to around $45 billion by just 2020.
In his recent visit to India, US vice-president Joe Biden also suggested that Indian regulations against foreign countries were the main reason why US-India trade relations have started breaking down in recent years. While sympathizing with India’s desire to keep a close watch on everything that was going on inside its border, he urged the country to loosen its policies for American companies in order to open up more fruitful economic and political ties between the two powerhouse democracies.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com