KARACHI: 600 clinical trials were registered in Pakistan, out of more than 435,000 registered in different countries of the world last year for health research purposes, while India is earning over $5 billion by conducting such trials.
Experts revealed this information during a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC). The occasion marked the launch of a multi-million-rupee project aimed at providing financial support to local researchers and healthcare professionals in various areas of health sciences to aid completion of their studies.
They urged young physicians, academicians, and healthcare professionals to initiate research projects addressing the health challenges affecting the Pakistani population and South Asians at large. They said that conducting local researches and studies is key to addressing the causes and treatments of emerging health issues.
The project, designed and launched by Pharmevo Research Forum, will involve various researchers and healthcare professionals from Pakistan. The research body will grant each of them funds of up to Rs300,000 to support research aimed at identifying areas requiring immediate government attention, informing policy making, proposing healthcare solutions, and fostering innovative ideas for delivering the best and cost-effective treatment options to the people.
At the press conference, researchers and healthcare experts expressed regret over the fact that the authorities had become a significant obstacle for clinical trials and medical research. They noted a shortage of qualified individuals capable of making such decisions promptly.
They called for conducting clinical trials using Pakistani subjects, on medicines developed in Western countries before these drugs receive approval from local regulatory agencies. They claimed that Pakistanis and other South Asians possess distinct ethnic and genetic characteristics compared to Western populations.
"The people of Pakistan and other South Asians exhibit variations from those in Europe and the Americas. Scientific research has established that we metabolise medicines differently from Western populations. It is crucial to initiate local trials of medications and gather indigenous data to formulate specific solutions for various diseases and health conditions." said Dr. Jahan Ara, from the Dow University of Health Sciences.
"According to WHO data, in 2022, more than 435,000 clinical trials were conducted globally, with only 610 originating from Pakistan. This figure is disproportionately low given the size of our population." said Dr. Bader Fayyaz Zuberi, a professor of medicine, expressing concern over the lack of precise data and reliable statistics in Pakistan, which are essential for research-based initiatives.
