Death of drug-test babies raises questions on ethics
Rhys Blakely; 21/8/08
The death of 49 babies used to test experimental drugs at one of India’s top hospitals has raised concerns that ethical standards are being compromised as the country becomes the world’s leading destination for clinical trials on human beings. The deaths occurred over a period of 30 months at the Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences, an elite medical college and public hospital renowned for providing low-cost treatment to the poor. The dead babies were part of a pool of 4142 infants used in 42 clinical trials - one of the final stages of drug development - at AIIMS since January 2006, many for Western companies. Of the children used in the trials, 2728 were under a year old.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24213869-25837,00.html