Vimta Faces Charge Of Drug Tests On Humans

Vimta Labs, the city-based multi-disciplinary testing and research laboratory, has run into controversy following reports in the local media that it was indulging in unethical practices.

The company is alleged to have been roping in migrant agricultural labour as human volunteers for carrying out bio-equivalence (BE) studies on various drugs on behalf of pharma companies.

The company has been conducting BE studies on generic drugs with human subjects since 1994. The studies have been carried on 1,200 volunteers so far.

Admitting this at a press conference, S P Vasireddi, chairman & managing director, Vimta Labs, said the company had been conducting BE studies as per good clinical practices and national guidelines from the Drug Controller General of India.

 

He said the tests are being conducted on healthy human subjects after obtaining their informed consents. Moreover, he added that the volunteers were given monetary compensation for their involvement in the study.

According to Vasireddi, the lab was not involved in the testing of new drugs and was only carrying out BE studies on generic drugs as per universally and ethically accepted procedures.

He said the lab had been accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Department of Science and Technology, for conducting these studies.