India may overhaul clinical trial ecosystem for faster drug availability

At a meeting last month, government officials discussed the proposal to set up clinical trial centres at institutions affiliated with the ICMR, replacing the current system

Concerned about the rise of antibiotic resistance and the time it takes for drugs developed abroad to reach Indians, the government is considering holding its own clinical trials. The trials, to be held by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), could be the beginning of an overhaul of the clinical trial ecosystem. 

The government has rarely ventured into this arena before. Clinical trials for new drugs have so far primarily been conducted only by private Indian or foreign drug firms. But given the stringent nature of India’s regulatory environment for clinical trials, several pharmaceutical companies have moved their trials