Cancer ‘graduate’ Lisa Ray bats for clinical trials

“I am a patient advocate,” says model, actor and ‘cancer graduate’ Lisa Ray, speaking about a clinical trial she participated in last year, and making a compelling argument to improve patient access to new drugs and therapies.

Ray was ‘Patient 11’ in a clinical trial conducted on NK-92 (a cell line that kills cancerous or abnormal cells), at Canada’s Princess Margaret Hospital.

“Not many people know this,” Ray tells BusinessLine , sitting in a coffee outlet in Mumbai, recollecting the six-month clinical trial, which took place as she shuttled between Toronto, Hong Kong and Mumbai.

According to data available in the public domain, NK-92, unlike other immuno-therapies, attacks diseased cells even in those with immune systems that may not be intact.

Open about her fight against multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow), Ray has been active on social media for over five years now, blogging and tweeting about the cancer, its treatment and her thoughts on it.

Her latest revelation on participating in a clinical trial comes at a time when the topic evokes extreme reactions in India. Clinical trials involve testing new drugs or therapies on human volunteers for safety and efficacy before the product is launched in the market.

Although this paves the way for new drugs to get launched, the fear of patients getting exploited by unscrupulous elements sponsoring or conducting the trials has led pro-health groups calling for strong laws to protect patients in India. A case on the issue is currently in the Supreme Court.

There is an “inherent risk” in a vast and complex country like India, says Ray, agreeing that there is a need for strong laws to regulate the manner in which clinical trials are conducted, consent is obtained from volunteers who participate in trials, etc.

But you cannot prevent people from accessing a drug because of the risk, she says, adding that the patients’ interests need to be right at the top.

“I volunteered for the trial,” says Ray, who got to know of it from a friend who also had multiple myeloma. “My desire is for accelerated treatment,” she adds.

Explaining why quick access to critical drugs is important, she says: “There are lives at stake here” and every life needs to be valued. “It is a basic human right,” she says.

COMMENT NOW