India needs to conduct more clinical trials for discovering new drugs for chronic diseases. With large number of block buster drugs coming off patent by 2015, the Indian pharmaceutical industry should get ready for not just making generic drugs, but should also increase the number of clinical trials for discovering new drugs for treating chronic diseases, opined experts at Krishna institute of Medical sciences (KIMS).

According to Dr Ramana Prasad, pulmonologists at KIMS, it is high time that the policy makers, drug regulators, the pharma industry and clinical research organizations should come together to devise a perfect path to rejuvenate the clinical trial industry in India. “Chronic disorders like Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) have no cure. Such diseases need new drugs for curing them completely. At present, with no proper drugs available, doctors are managing to prolong the lives of patients with antibiotics and Bronchodilators, says Dr Ramana.

While talking more on COPD, healthcare experts say there is no cure for the disease and there is a need for discovering new drugs for curing pulmonary related disorders. COPD is mainly observed among the population above 45 years of age. COPD not just blocks the lungs and causes uneasiness in breathing, but it also exerts pressure on heart and thereby attacks kidney, liver and brain. The main cause of COPD is due to excessive smoke inhalation. 70-90 per cent is caused by active smoking and 10 per cent population is effected by passive smoking. In rural areas 8-10 per cent population is impacted by fire wood cooking and others are affected due to occupational exposure in coal mines, cement factories, rice mills and due to routine pollution on the roads. Major symptom of COPD disease is cough and excessive sputum. This disease is invisible and irreversible. In many people it will show its symptoms during old age and make them incapable to breathe leading to end stage lung disease.

The current fate of clinical trial industry in India is pathetic. The central government had given just 5 approvals to conduct clinical trials during the year 2013. With such a slow pace of approvals, the healthcare industry cannot achieve the dream of discovering new drugs. To compete with the world in the healthcare sector, Government in India needs to give a push to the clinical trial industry and enable them to take up further research and discover new drugs.

At the same time, the regulators and the policy makers should also ensure that a fool proof criteria is evolved so that no rouge elements can use the loopholes to manipulate or violate the ethical standard code that protect the interests of the subjects under trial. “With a few rogue elements spoiling the environment of clinical trials in the country, India is facing negative growth in the clinical trial sector, while countries like China, Malaysia and Philippines are leading in this sector,” opined the doctor.