Despite having a diverse genetic pool, wide range of patient population and cost advantages to attract global drug development projects, shortage of trained clinical investigators is posing a major hurdle to achieve the targeted growth in clinical development business in India.

It is important that the state and central governments and the private sector should initiate appropriate training programmes for the doctors, nurses and other paramedical professionals to gain knowledge and practical experience of clinical investigations, its standards and documentary procedures, says Dr Ravi Anand, a global drug development consultant and International Scientific Advisor to ClinInvent Research.

Dr Ravi Anand, former executive director and head (clinical projects), CNS Clinical Development Department of Organon and ex-ED & Global Head, US Medical Affairs of, CNS Business Unit, Novartis, US, while speaking to Pharmabiz.com in Mumbai said that the well trained investigators are very vital to the authenticity and success of clinical research. However, in India this concept is yet to emerge as a focus area in the medical education.

On the contrary, clinical investigation is a prime subject in the curricula not only in the basic medical education but also in the continued education programmes in the West. Hence the trained professional investigators are large in numbers. Thousands of such professional investigators are available in the Europe and the US.

The training for medical practioners to work as investigators for drug development includes not only their abilities to become good doctors, but building the mind set to cop with standards to be followed for an authentic drug trial, which includes better analytical mind, accurate and regular documentation skills, awareness of ethical standards and responsibilities etc, he added.

As a beginning, the respective governments in India can at least start the investigator training as part of the continued education programmes for the practicing doctors. Similarly, the clinical trials and drug investigation could be made part of the medical education also at the degree level and the post-graduate level, he suggested.

The country has tremendous opportunity to grow in the drug development as it is an ideal platform for clinical trials if this missing factor is adequately provided, Dr Ravi said.