Growing suport for ethical testing campaign

Last week marked the celebration of International Clinical Trials Day 2009. A worldwide coalition of health and human rights organizations  united in the campaign FairDrugs.org called for the adequate protection  of trial subjects in developing countries.

The campaign, led by the Wemos Foundation, centers on the Call for  Ethical Clinical Trials in Developing Countries, and appeals to  policymakers, legislators and pharmaceutical companies to respect the  rights of trial subjects. Numerous organizations and individuals have  already signed up, including independent investigative journalist Sonia  Shah, the author of The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World's  Poorest Patients. "For too long, clinical trials in poor countries have  been conducted in the shadows, endangering the human rights and health  of test subjects. I support the FairDrugs.org campaign because I believe  civil society must be involved to ensure that all human experimentation  is conducted to the highest ethical standards. Anyone who benefits from  modern medications should, too," says Ms Shah.

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