Legislation to protect AIDS vaccine trial volunteers

January 7, 2004

BHUMIKA KULKARNI

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, JANUARY 06, 2004 07:53:21 PM ]

BANGALORE : India may soon introduce legislations to protect people

who volunteer for the HIV/AIDS vaccine trials in the country.

Insurance coverage for such persons may not be far behind.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will soon be submitting

a proposal to the government for introduction of such laws, having

worked out a format with lawyer groups, said ICMR director general

Prof N.K.Ganguly. Trials for the HIV/AIDS vaccine in India are slated

to begin in April this year. Adequate insurance coverage for those

undergoing any such drug and vaccine trials is also being proposed.

Legislation and insurance become key issues in India , which is

emerging as a hub of clinical trials for international pharmaceutical

companies. " Insurance coverage will ultimately have to be provided

for any international or large clinical trial where a pharmaceutical

company is involved, " said Ganguly.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inaugural of

a five-day Indo-US Symposium on Infectious Disease Research and

Development, he said that such a support system would ensure

certification for volunteers infected during trials so that when they

look out for jobs in other countries like West Asia where they are

screened for the HIV virus, they are not turned away.

The system would also cover such volunteers, even when trials have

been completed. HIV/AIDS vaccine trials will begin in Pune and trial

centres are also being set up in Chennai and the North-East.

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