The Hindu Business Line : Now, jobs come with clinical precision

The new patent regime that honours product patents and intellectual property has instilled confidence in major drugs companies; so, more clinical research is expected to come India's way.

Mumbai , Nov. 27

CLINICAL research is emerging as an attractive career option, as more research flocks into the country. And drug companies and contract research organisations (CRO) are vying with each other to recruit researchers, monitors, investigators and doctors with any knowledge of clinical research, say representatives involved with the segment.

Students of pharmacy, life-sciences and even doctors are looking at clinical research as a career option, as companies are recruiting even trainees at salaries of about Rs 2.5 lakh per annum. And this is just the beginning, says Mr Vijay Moza, a co-promoter of the Institute of Clinical Research (India) (ICRI).

The scramble to corner clinical researchers increases as industry representatives fear a shortage of good scientific hands in the country, as the volume of research increases. Besides clinical research associates (CRA), monitors, co-investigators and data-co-ordinators, there is a big demand for good doctors, says Mr Moza.

Mr Moza says India is expected to corner business worth about $200 million from clinical research by 2007. Clinical research is touted to fetch India business worth $1.5 billion by 2010.

There are about 300 domestic companies and 100 multinationals doing clinical trials in India, he says.

The new patent regime that honours product patents and intellectual property has instilled confidence in major drugs companies, says Mr Moza. So, more clinical research will come India's way.

ICRI trains about 1,000 students, including 200 doctors at its institutes in Mumbai and Bangalore, among other places, he says. It runs two two-year courses: an M.Sc in clinical research and a similar course with an MBA, for a fee of about Rs 2.5 lakh.

It also runs a post-graduate diploma for one year on clinical research for professionals, at a fee of Rs 1.25 lakh.

An opportunity also lies overseas, says Mr Moza, with the US facing a shortage of about 2,000 researchers. He hopes to start an institute in the US and other parts of Asia to train people in clinical research.

Dr Arun Bhatt, President of ClinInvent Research Pvt Ltd, says that, while clinical research is an attractive career opportunity, it is still in its infancy in India. ClinInvent is a CRO with the Purnendu Chatterjee Group.

"Not everyone will be writing research protocols or handling the medical part of research. Most people become monitors or CRAs where they monitor clinical trials at hospitals and their adherence to protocols. That will require a lot more experience," he says.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

More Stories on : Human Resources | Pharmaceuticals

Stories in this Section
Chidambaram unveils new reform plan — Six-point agenda to help economy achieve over 8 pc growth

Health insurance cost may go up

Medical search engine that promises to tide over data overdose

Separate pricing models for drug categories likely

I am certainly in the job for next five years, says Premji

`More generous' dividend this year — India will continue to be most competitive: Premji

Cambridge Solutions eyes acquisitions

Buoyant sentiment may boost benchmarks

Now, jobs come with clinical precision