The public perception on bio-ethics and biomedical research involving human subjects is to be recorded for the first time in the country. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is known to have received health ministry approval for conducting a national survey to gather perception of all stake holders including lay public on the perils and advantages of clinical trials involving human beings. The survey is part of an international study funded by National Institute of Health, USA, sources informed.

According to sources, the public perceptions on the benefits that can be derived out of their participation in trials have never been considered seriously. The advent of new technologies and the scope of utilizing blood samples to study even genetic disorders have increased the need for public awareness on matters related to biomedical research involving human subjects, they pointed out.

The survey will provide the authorities with sufficient material to improve the ethical guidelines on biomedical research involving human subjects. As reported earlier, ICMR Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research on Human Subjects is undergoing a major revision now. The guideline, first announced in 2000, is to be thoroughly updated with new chapters on ethical guidelines for bio-banking.

As ICMR sources point out, the bio-genetic material is of tremendous interest to the diagnostic industry due to its critical use in identifying new tools for early detection of diseases. The survey, therefore, would reveal the additional precautions that need to be taken while finalizing the national guidelines on ethics in biomedical research.