The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has identified the negative campaigns in the media as the major reason behind the long delay in the introduction of injectable contraceptives in the country. The clinical trials of the injectable contraceptive have not begun even after five years of the completion of basic research, they complain.

According to Prasada Rao, Secretary Health, the delay is due to the protests from some of the activists and the undue importance given by the media for such negative campaigns.

Speaking at a conference on clinical research organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Rao said that there are several examples where Indian drug research had to suffer due to the misinformed media campaigns. He hoped that the situation of clinical trials being thwarted or delayed by some activist organizations could be controlled in near future.

Commenting on the future of Indian clinical research, he felt that the attention the clinical trials receives in India and the transparency with which it is conducted, is unique when compared to other countries. Even while pointing out the negative impact of over response, he felt that a well equipped and well prepared drug regulatory system and informed media can reverse this image and bring in the "transparency" factor in the country's favour.

The secretary was confident of the future of clinical research in India. "We have ethical guidelines, that is to be the standard for organized clinical trials in the country, in place. Our drug regulatory system is also streamlining its procedures. We need the technical capabilities, modernized lab facilities and trained human resources to emerge a winner. The World Bank aided capacity building programme of the central government is aimed at achieving all these objectives", he said.

He also informed that the ministry is working on getting all testing labs in the country accredited to NABL. According to the secretary, the clinical research is not new to India.

But the research activities attained momentum during the last four to five years. Reasons for this heightened activity are several. Emergence of new diseases like SARS, AIDS pose fresh challenges before us. But the real stimulant for research has been the patent regime. "The entire scope and nature of drug clinical trials will undergo a change. In coming years mere concentration on generics cannot take us far. More investments should flow into R&D. We have resource base organizations both in government, public sector. We should put this to great advantage," he opined.