Humans are not guinea pigs, SC tells govt

The Supreme Court today pulled up the union government for its failure to stop ''illegal'' clinical trials of untested drugs on human beings by multinational companies.

A bench comprising Justices R M Lodha and A R Dave said in an interim order that all clinical trials of drugs must be done under the supervision of the union health secretary.
 
The drug trials are creating ''havoc'' in the country and causing the death of many citizens, the bench observed.

The apex court's direction came during a hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the Swasthya Adhikar Manch alleging that clinical drug trials were being carried out across the country by various pharmaceutical firms using Indian citizens as guinea pigs.

The apex court said that the government has gone into ''deep slumber'' on the issue and has failed to put in place proper mechanisms to stop ''rackets'' by multinational pharmaceutical companies which are conducting illegal clinical trials.

''You have to protect health of citizens of the country. It is your obligation. Deaths must be arrested and illegal trials must be stayed,'' the bench said, asking the government to handle the ''menace'' on an urgent basis.

It pulled up the government after it was contended that various committees have been set up to look into the issue and that it will come back to the court after getting suggestions from them.