Article Sidebar
Published:
Feb 27, 2008Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the SAMJ is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
Main Article Content
Pharmacoligaclly Active: Clinical Trials and the Pharmaceuticals Industry
Abstract
Multinational pharmaceutical companies (‘pharmas') import
and produce pharmaceuticals and also conduct clinical trials
which are an important aspect of research and development
(R&D). This may raise the question: Is South Africa a guinea
pig for the pharmas? The Department of Trade and Industry
National Industrial Policy Framework1 designates chemicals,
plastic fabrication and pharmaceuticals as a key value
chain. So a second question could be: Can South Africa be a
manufacturer for the pharmas, or can it leverage strengths
in medical research and the conducting of clinical trials so
as to develop a discovery-led industry? This paper analyses
and quantifies the state of the clinical trials industry in South
Africa, and concludes that: (i) a sizeable clinical trials industry
exists, and that these trials are predominantly phase 3 and
global in scope; (ii) South Africa is not a specific or unique
guinea pig – a range of conditions is studied as part of global
trials; and (iii) while South Africa has excellent prospects for
increased clinical trials activity, R&D investment is too low to
make it a major pharmaceutical contender
South African Medical Journal Vol. 98 (2) 2008: pp. 114-116
