Pakistan orders fresh trials on local hepatitis drug

Pakistan's ministry of health has ordered new clinical trials on a locally made hepatitis B drug that ran into controversy over corruption charges and trial irregularities.

 

The local drug for hepatitis B, which affects seven million persons in the country, was developed at the Lahore-based Centre of Advanced Molecular Biology (CAMB).

 

But, controversy has dogged the drug trials and launch. Pakistan's science ministry has charged CAMB with funds misuse during drug development, and referred its audit findings on CAMB to the country’s Federal Investigation Agency.   

 

The health ministry says CAMB conducted studies on humans without permission, and used a small sample size.

 

Last month (10 January), the health ministry told the CAMB to conduct fresh clinical trials and initiate steps to produce 100,000 vials of the drug.