The Politics of Clinical Trials in Africa

The drug development process begins when a savvy scientist or individual discovers a chemical or herb that they believe can cure a disease. After making chemical or herbal mixtures in the lab, and testing on animals, the chemical or herb becomes a potential drug and is taken through different phases of testing in humans, known as clinical trials. In phase I, the drug is given to healthy volunteers to make sure that it does not make healthy people sick. During this phase, scientists monitor what the drug does to the body and calculate the highest dose that a healthy individual can take before any harm or side effects emerge. In this phase, individuals who volunteer to go through this process are often given monetary compensation for their willingness to risk the unknown impacts of new drugs.

It’s not just okay for a potential drug to be safe for human consumption, there must be proof that it can cure the intended disease. At the end of successful phase I trials, the potential drug is taken to phase II.  During phase II trials, a small group (typically less than 100 people) of individuals who have the disease intended to be targeted are recruited to take the drug. This is done with the intention of disease treatment. If the potential drug shows promise during phase II, it is taken to phase III, where it is tested on a larger number of sick people for a longer period. If the potential drug proves to be successful, it receives approval from a drug regulatory agency like Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be sold to consumers, in pharmacies and hospitals. After approval, a fourth phase commences, to ensure that the potential drug does not cause harm while it is used by professionals to treat diseases.