Clinical research, now on job street

MUMBAI: Clinical research is fast emerging as an attractive career option with research organisations and pharma and drug firms going on a recruitment drive.

Seeing the huge demand, IRL (ICRI Research Pvt Ltd) has given the go-ahead for setting up two institutions in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in the next one year and also plans to start an institute in the US.

IRL is an associate of Institute of Clinical Research India (ICRI) which specialises in conducting global clinical trials (Phase II-IV) on new drugs and has campuses in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.

Talking to DNA, Vijay Moza, IRL chief executive officer and vice-chairman, said, “The demand is high as India lacks trained professionals in clinical trials. Currently, India has about 500-1,000 clinical investigators compared with the US which has 50,000 clinical investigators.”

There are about 350 Indian companies and 100 multinationals involved in clinical trials in India.

At present, around 3,500 drugs are under development and 4,000 new drugs applications have been reported, he added.

ICRI trains about 2,000 students, including 300 doctors, and  runs courses like MSc in clinical research and MBA in clinical research, apart from post-graduate diploma.

Asked why more and more medicine students are opting for clinical trials, Moza said, “The national and multi-national drug firms are offering average salaries of around Rs 4-5 lakh per annum depending on experience and skills. Seeing the huge opportunity and money, medicine students are eyeing clinical research jobs as career opportunity.”

According to Moza, India expects business worth about $200 million from clinical research by 2007. It is said to fetch India business worth $1.5 billion by 2010.

Sources said Pfizer is using its India facility for clinical studies and has invested $12.5 million since 1995 in India on clinical trials. In fact, GlaxoSmithKline conducts high-end statistical data analysis for clinical trials from its centre in India. Other MNCs such as Novartis, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly are also routing some of their global clinical research to India.