London’s Independent today reported evidence that large drug companies have are exploiting Indian ‘guinea pigs’ for drug testing. Among the incidents they uncovered were the deaths of several girls after an immunization study sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The girls’ Illiterate tribal parents did not give consent for the study and after the deaths, it was halted by the federal authorities.
The article raises the issue of exploitation of testing participants who are often poor, ill-educated and unable to read and write.
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