ABSTRACT
Shifting trends in state policies in the recent decades are increasingly evident with markets dictating economic and social policies while the state rapidly withdraws from provisioning and delivery of public goods and services. This has clearly advanced the private sector’s role and influence in establishing the political, social and economic priorities. Consequently, with the state’s patronage, newer markets and alliances have emerged in economic and social sectors – including health – which were primarily the responsibility of the state (Bisht et al., 2011). The pubic–private partnerships (PPPs) that are being implemented are a part of this shift without any plan for overall reorganisation of the health system, any regulation of the private sector, any system to rationalise practices or costs and any mechanisms to enforce accountability or patients’ rights. This paper is specifically looking at such alliances in the clinical trials sector in India using the case of Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine trials. The nature of such collaborations has influenced the very science of drug research and drug trials in India. In recent times, pertinent questions have been raised concerning direct and indirect partnerships of pharmaceutical companies with state bodies and pressure from powerful international organisations and networks to conduct trials in the country. These partnerships also illustrate how such collaborations influence public health priorities and research in India and how far removed research priorities are from the needs and interests of the community.
The demonstration project of the HPV vaccine provides a classic example of a public–private collaboration in the context of conducting clinical trials in India.
