Clinical trials of medicines, vaccines often carried out in poor countries: SC

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for NGO, said poor citizens were still being used as "guinea pigs" and not paid adequate compensation.

The senior lawyer said he wanted to file his objections and submissions in the case to ensure a proper redressal of the grievances.

Dave, however, said the PILs had become infructuous as the rules and the amendments were notified in 2019 and 2024, respectively, and nothing remained to be dealt with.

The top court granted four weeks to Parikh to file his objections to the rules and otherwise.

Clinical trials in India are governed by several rules, including the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India for such trials.

The 2024 rules were intended to make changes to the existing ones introduced in 2019.

The top court had said clinical trials in the country must be for the help of people in the country and not be allowed for the benefits of multinational companies.

In 2013, it said norms formulated by the Centre were "deficient" to protect the rights of the subjects following which new rules were introduced.

The PIL alleged clinical drug trials by various pharmaceutical firms took place indiscriminately across states in the country and used Indian citizens as guinea pigs.