This refers to the editorial “ >Collusion of the worst kind ” (Sept. 12). Over the years, India has become a fertile ground for drug trials. Multinational firms involved in manufacturing drugs and vaccines exploit people’s ignorance and crippling poverty. Given the grave risk to human life emanating from unregulated and unsafe drug trials, the government cannot afford to remain a mute spectator. It is time we adopted tougher measures.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan
The poor and illiterate fall prey to the corrupt interests of big pharma companies, which take advantage of people’s need for medical help to make maximum profits from new drugs. PATH and other Indian agencies should be made liable for the violation of moral principles while conducting trials of Human Papilloma Virus on innocent people who registered themselves without having adequate knowledge of the drug and its after-effects.
Geethu Issac,
Thiruvananthapuram
