“Fault Lines – Outsourced – Clinical Trials Overseas” delves into a deeply concerning phenomenon in the pharmaceutical industry: the outsourcing of clinical trials to far-flung and economically disadvantaged regions. Over the past decade, major US pharmaceutical companies have increasingly turned to countries like India, Russia, China, and Brazil to conduct their clinical research. This eye-opening documentary raises critical questions about ethics, oversight, and the impact of such practices on vulnerable populations.
The film sheds light on the booming industry of clinical research, valued at a staggering $30 billion in the US today. India, in particular, has become a hub for these trials, offering a combination of factors that make it an attractive testing ground. A well-established medical infrastructure, a willingness to embrace foreign industries, and a large pool of impoverished and often illiterate volunteers create a perfect storm for pharmaceutical experimentation.
As “Fault Lines” takes us to the heart of this issue in India, it forces us to confront uncomfortable realities. Are the regulatory bodies in the US effectively overseeing these trials? Do the participants truly understand that they are part of a clinical experiment? And perhaps most crucially, are these trials aligning with international ethical standards? This documentary serves as a powerful wake-up call, urging us to reevaluate the moral compass of the pharmaceutical industry and the potential human cost of its actions.
