Indian clinical trials plummet 93% as local regs tighten up

Years of lax regulations helped India build a booming market for clinical trials, but a recent move to strengthen patient protections has deflated demand and last year saw just 19 studies get underway in the country, according to The Pharma Letter. That amounts to a roughly 93% drop from 2012's 262 trials, as drugmakers and academics flee India's now-sluggish regulatory system for the likes of China, Singapore and Malaysia. In October, CRO giant Quintiles ($Q) closed a Phase I research unit in Hyderabad citing a "challenging external business environment," and, over the summer, NIH canceled at least 40 ongoing studies in the country over similar concerns. Article (sub. req.) | More