RTI reveals 7 deaths during clinical trials of Viagra
3 Sep, 2012The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has shed light about the clinical trials and deaths due to drug trials across the country.
The reply from CDSCO states that the number of volunteers died during clinical trials was 142 in 2008, 325 in 2009, 668 in 2010, 438 in 2011, and 30 during the first month of 2012. Apart from the increasing number of deaths during clinical trials, the RTI reply also showed that out of these deaths, seven persons died between 2009 and 2011 due to trials of sidenafil citrate, commonly known as Viagra, a well-known aphrodisiac. Out of the seven, four deaths occurred at Bombay and three died at Hyderabad.