Challenges in launching multinational oncology clinical trials in India

• Main Authors: Kamal S Saini, Gaurav Agarwal, Ramesh Jagannathan, Otto Metzger-Filho, Monika L Saini, Khurshid Mistry, Raghib Ali, Sudeep Gupta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2013-01-01
• Series: South Asian Journal of Cancer
• Subjects: Cancer; challenges; clinical trials; delays; India; obstacles; oncology; regulatory; research; South Asia
• Online Access: http://journal.sajc.org/article.asp?issn=2278-330X;year=2013;volume=2;issue=1;spage=44;epage=49;aulast=Saini

In the recent past, there has been an impressive growth in the number of clinical trials launched worldwide, including India. Participation in well-designed oncology clinical trials is of advantage to Indian healthcare system in general, and cancer patients in particular. However, the number of clinical trials being run in India is not commensurate with the cancer burden prevailing in the country. In this article, the authors investigate the reasons for this discrepancy, highlight critical bottlenecks, and propose ways to ameliorate the situation.