After a section of the media made sensational disclosures of poor men and women of Piduguralla in Guntur district being used as guinea pigs for clinical trials by a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, Guntur district police today arrested two brokers who arranged people for pharmaceutical companies for trails on commission basis.

 

Police have taken into custody two brokers Jameela and Karunamma who are supplying people for clinical trails.  

 

The district medical officer Mr Gopi Nayak visited Adarsh Nagar and Lenin Nagar areas of Piduguralla today after the media exposure and met the victims who spoiled their health following the clinical trails.

 

Most of the people, who underwent the clinical trails not knowing that they were subjects of medical experiments, are suffering from different health problems. Most of the victims are in the age group of 35 to 60 and consisted of men and women.

 

On Gopi Nayak’s instructions, seven victims who were suffering with serious health problems are admitted to the Government hospital in Guntur today.

The victims said they were paid amounts ranging from Rs.300 to Rs.9000 by the company in installments for taking medicines early in the morning. They also revealed that the company had taken their signatures on a stamped paper before taking their blood samples for using them for experiments. Most of the victims are poor and illiterate people who work as labourers in various local companies in Piduguralla.

 

Meanwhile, Health Minister Ravindra reddy has ordered an inquiry into the clinical trials.