The Citizens for Affordable, Safe and Effective Medicine (CASEM) aims to be a collective of like-minded individuals who seek to make ‘Made in India’ medicine more affordable, safe and effective for patients.
The reputation of the Indian pharmaceutical industry has suffered over the last decade due to scandals regarding drug quality. These scandals have revealed systemic issues in the regulatory framework governing the pharmaceutical industry in India. In addition to outdated regulations, a key problem with the regulatory framework in India is the opacity that defines every aspect of its functioning.
In our opinion, quality of medicine is intrinsically tied to the price of medicine and public health outcomes. Reforming regulatory structures that govern the pharmaceutical industry is the first step to a more effective, responsive and equitable public heath policy.
We aim to achieve our goals of reforming outdated regulations and increased transparency by petitioning the government and the courts for changes in outdated law and for better enforcement of existing laws. In order to ensure a more informed public debate on drug regulation in India, we will also make available government reports, parliamentary reports and legislation on our website.
Founder
Dinesh Thakur is a public health activist. He is a trained Chemical Engineer and his business career spans drug discovery, development, clinical research and regulatory affairs in the pharmaceutical industry. He advocates for high quality, affordable medicines and a safe and secure drug supply chain. He was the whistleblower in the Ranbaxy case which led to the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) imposing a US $500 million fine on the company. He is the recipient of Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage and the ACFE Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award.