The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the Union Health Ministry after receiving information that three government hospitals committed illegal drug trials on nea

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the Union Health Ministry after receiving information that three government hospitals committed illegal drug trials on nea

The rules notified by the government for compensating clinical trial victims have failed to address the concerns raised by patient groups and health activists.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the Union health secretary on a complaint alleging that three big government hospitals in Delhi conducted illegal clinical drug trials on 3,479 children during the last five years.

The commission’s notice cited illegal clinical trials allegedly conducted on 2,056 children at Safdarjung Hospital, 1,023 children in Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital and 400 children at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital.

Some 40 drugs will soon be notified under a new schedule, H1, of Drugs and Cosmetics Act to make it mandatory for chemists to maintain a register of their sales and retain a copy of the prescription. This will be in addition to the schedule H drugs which, too, can't be sold without prescription.

Besides, packs of H1 drugs will carry a prominent warning in red stating that it is dangerous to take these drugs without doctor's prescription. The decision, which Central Drugs and Standards Control Organisation hopes will arrest the rising incidence of resistance to antibiotics in the country, was taken at the 62nd meeting of Drug Technical Advisory Board Wednesday.

Xpert, the quick test for tuberculosis already endorsed by WHO, has been found accurate for TB including drug-resistant strains, according to a new study publsihed in The Cochrane Library.

WHO in 2010 endorsed the two-hour, molecular diagnostic TB test, which requires little skilled expertise. With the cost of the test now reduced to under $10 per cartridge thyanks to several donors, it is being rolled out in more than 20 countries including India.

Issuing licence is totally compliant with multilateral agreements: Sharma

India, on Wednesday, conveyed to the U.S. that it had not violated any multilateral trade agreement by issuing compulsory licence for Bayer’s patented anti-cancer drug Nexavar to a local firm so as to make it affordable. It also asserted that such a move should not be seen as routine by the U.S. The message was conveyed by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma to U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Rober Hormats, who raised concerns over the matter during a meeting here, according to an official.