Biobusiness in Brief:What Ails Clinical Trials?

Many academic researchers, while working on fundamental problems, hope that in due course their science will benefit humanity. Undoubtedly, they would be delighted if their science was to be the basis for drugs that reached patients. For that to happen, the candidate molecules must pass through clinical trials. Unfortunately, world over, trials have been beset with problems and have been heavily criticized on many fronts. Here we describe some of the points of contention, focusing on issues that have come to light in the West.