The Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR) is one such NGO in India.

The Indian Society for

Clinical Research (ISCR) is a non-profit organisation that promotes ethical and high-quality
medical research in India. The group is active in tuberculosis and other infectious illness clinical
studies, as well as lobbying for improved TB diagnostic and treatment access (Saldanha, 2021).
ISCR is a society with a number of operational councils that oversee the Society's primary tasks.
Each Council has a Chair and Members who drive the particular agendas of the Councils, which
are driven by ISCR's general aims and objectives. The Ethics Council promotes ethical
knowledge and values in clinical research in order to protect trial participants' dignity, rights,
safety, and well-being (Meyer et al., 2021). The Investigator Council supports clinical research
and establishes high standards for investigators, while the Media Council appropriately depicts
clinical research's image and relevance in India. The Pharmacovigilance Council emphasises the
importance of reporting and works with regulators to ensure that practices are consistent
(Holst, 2020). The Regulatory Council forms connections with major agencies and is in charge of
regulatory training courses. The Training Council builds capacity, develops high-quality training
courses, serves as a professional network, and strives to certify key clinical research roles.

Challenges Faced by the Indian Society for Clinical Research

The ISCR has a number of challenges in its efforts to reduce tuberculosis incidence in India. One
of the most pressing concerns confronting most African non-governmental groups is a lack of
resources and funding. Furthermore, TB patients in India are often diagnosed and treated in the
public sector, which lacks major referral networks with the private sector, where clinical trials
are conducted (Kumar & Vashist, 2020). As a consequence, patient recruitment is often
challenging. Furthermore, because to India's convoluted regulatory system, regulatory approval
for clinical studies, including TB, is delayed. Co-morbidities such as HIV, diabetes, and
malnutrition are widespread among TB patients in India, complicating clinical investigations and
increasing the likelihood of unfavourable outcomes (Chaudhari & Dhingra, 2021). Drug-resistant
TB is common in India, necessitating specific therapy that conventional clinical trials may
overlook. Furthermore, tuberculosis is still stigmatised in India, which may affect patient
recruitment and adherence to study methodologies. Furthermore, patients and healthcare
providers may be uninformed of the importance of clinical research in tuberculosis therapy,
resulting in two TB deaths every three minutes in India. Surprisingly, many people still assume
that TB is primarily a disease of the poor, especially slum dwellers (Sagarika, 2022). The affluent
and well-to-do should be made aware that their cooks/servants/drivers may be asymptomatic
carriers of this horrible disease right in their mansions, and that they may get infected with TB
even if they do not visit these slums.