Whenever we need new medications, treatments, or vaccines, numerous questions arise in our minds, such as: Is this safe for me? Will it cause any side effects on my health?
But did you know that no treatment, drug, or vaccine can be prescribed without undergoing clinical studies and obtaining approval from regulatory agencies?
What is Clinical Research?
Clinical research is a growing discipline that deals with the study of health and illness in human beings, aiding the advancement of knowledge to understand the risks, benefits, and efficacy of any drug or treatment for any disease or disorder.
The Need for Clinical Research:
Introducing new medicine in the market is not an easy task. Before making it available to the general population, it must undergo different phases of clinical trials. In these trials, various aspects of the tested drug are evaluated, including dosage type, efficacy, and side effects. These studies typically span over a few years and involve participants enrolled in the trial study.
Clinical trials are mandatory to validate and evaluate any novel medicine, vaccine, medical devices, and equipment, among other things. They also play an immense role in exploring the causes of diseases or symptoms and testing whether a treatment will help with certain symptoms or conditions.
As the clinical trial progresses, more and more participants are enrolled in later phases to gather data for a larger population size.
Clinical Trials in India:
India, contributing 17.5% of the world's human population and being the fifth-largest economy, is considered a preferred choice for many businesses. Clinical Research, being an innovative emerging field, is no exception.
According to the Clinical Trial Registry India (CTRI), a total of 54,547 clinical trials are currently registered and ongoing in India. The Indian clinical trial market was estimated to be valued at $2.07 billion in 2022. The market size is expected to reach USD 3.88 billion by 2030. These numbers give us an idea of how much this field is exploring new challenges and opportunities in the medical and healthcare sectors.
Cost-effective trial strategies, a simplified Indian Regulatory system, trained manpower in medicine and clinical research, experienced scientists, doctors, physicians, and expert information technology professionals have provided a great support system for the growth of clinical research in our country.
Additionally, the availability of vulnerable populations, patients, and physicians is an advantage that attracts many international pharmaceutical industries, clinical research organizations, and healthcare agencies to conduct clinical trials in India.
Indian Hotspots for Clinical Trials:
Tier-1 cities Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune have world-class medical facilities, including larger bed capacities and a significant number of doctors. The presence of an excellent healthcare system enables them to be Indian hotspots for conducting clinical trials. Many top national and international biopharmaceutical companies consider them good options for outsourcing clinical trials.
Career Prospects:
Conducting a clinical trial is not a one-person show. It requires collaboration among experts from different backgrounds. It is a type of research associated with pharmacology, toxicology, clinical medicine, nursing, information technology, biostatistics, healthcare, sociology, ethics, and medical journalism, among others.
Individuals with backgrounds in medicine, life sciences, biomedical sciences, pharmaceuticals, and statistics are most welcome to enrich their careers in this industry.
If you want to become a part of this booming industry, you can pursue diploma or degree courses in clinical research to brighten your career in this field.
Dr. D. Y. Patil School of Allied Health Sciences has launched a two-year Master's program in clinical research. Dr. D. Y. Patil Hospital has its inbuilt DPU ICMR, ICMR Center for Clinical Trials (West Zone), and a vast infrastructure with a facility of 2,011 beds. It also boasts modern medical and research amenities, providing a significant advantage to experiencing real trial activities and strategies typically carried out during clinical trials.
For more details, you can visit us at https://alliedsciences.dpu.edu.in/