‘Patients First’ Continues as ISCR’s theme for International Clinical Trials Day 2018

New Delhi, May 18, 2018: Patients First, a theme that acknowledges the role of patients in a clinical trial, will continue as the Indian Society for Clinical Research’s (ISCR) theme for International Clinical Trials Day 2018. May 20 is celebrated world over as International Clinical Trials Day to commemorate the day in 1747 when Dr James Lind (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lind), a Scottish physician, conducted the first controlled clinical trial on a group of sailors suffering from scurvy.

“Our theme of Patients First addresses patients at two levels,” said Dr. Chirag Trivedi, President of ISCR. “One on hand, it acknowledges the role of every patient whose participation in a clinical trial has contributed to a better understanding of medicine and helped bring newer drugs to the market. At another level, it recognizes patients who wait in hope of more effective treatment that will help then lead qualitatively better lives. On International Clinical Trials Day, we reiterate our commitment to patients.”

Post a very challenging few years for clinical research in India, there have been various steps put in place by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to strengthen and balance the regulatory environment and create a more conducive environment for conducting clinical research in India. “ISCR is fully supportive of the initiatives to create a more robust and regulated environment which ensures the practice of the highest standards of ethics and quality and where patient rights and safety are protected. However, we need to bring more trials back to India for the sake of our large patient population,” added Dr Trivedi. India has 16% of the world’s population, 20% of the global disease burden and yet less than 1.3% of global research is done in India. The ultimate impact of a slowdown in clinical research is on patients, for many of whom participation in a clinical trial is the only hope of survival or a better quality of life.

ISCR invites all clinical research professionals and patients in the country to commemorate International Clinical Trials Day. There is a need to generate more awareness about the high quality of clinical research being done in India, the rights and responsibilities of patients who participate in clinical trials and of patients who have benefitted from clinical trials.  ISCR will be organizing several activities across the country on the day from seminars and training programmes to patient interactions and awareness programmes. A Patient Guide addressing the most frequent questions of patients in a clinical trial and an Educational Film on clinical trials are also material that ISCR has developed and will be distributing on the occasion.

Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)