Bengaluru man involved in R&D firm’s clinical trial dies, family blames ‘side effects’

A 33-year-old man, who had been involved in a clinical trial conducted by a research and development (R&D) company in Bengaluru, was found dead at his brother’s home in Jalahalli, said police.

According to police, the victim has been identified as Nagesh Veeranna. He was part of a clinical trial conducted by Bengaluru-based Syngene International Ltd. His brother Revana Siddappa lodged a complaint with the police on January 22, claiming that Nagesh’s death was a result of the side effects from the medicines administered during the trial.

“We have registered a complaint under Section 194 (3) of BNSS as unnatural death. We have started the investigation,” a police officer at the Jalahalli police station told PTI.

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Was admitted to ICU

Siddappa claimed that Nagesh had no prior health issues before participating in the trial. As per his complaint, Nagesh visited the R&D firm on December 9 last year and returned the same night after a check-up. He made another visit on December 12 when he stayed in the company’s accommodation.

Siddappa said he received a call from the firm’s office on December 18 stating that Nagesh had been admitted to Narayana Hrudayalaya due to health complications. Nagesh, who was in the ICU, told Siddappa, that his health deteriorated and he experienced severe stomach pain after taking the trial medication, including tablets and injections. He was finally discharged on December 26, following which he used to visit the company twice a week for check-ups.

On Tuesday (January 21) night, the two brothers had dinner and went to bed as usual. However, when Siddappa attempted to wake Nagesh on Wednesday morning, he was unresponsive. He immediately contacted the doctor from the R&D firm, who instructed him to take him to the same hospital where he had been treated earlier. Upon arrival, doctors declared Nagesh dead.

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R&D firm’s response

In a statement, Syngene International expressed condolences to the family and stated, “An individual who participated in one of our pharmacokinetic studies in early December passed away suddenly at his residence due to a medical event. We are adhering to all clinical trial protocols and have reported the incident to the relevant authorities. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are providing full support to both the family and the investigating authorities.”

Meanwhile, the Jalahalli police have initiated an investigation, registering a case of unnatural death, and are probing the circumstances surrounding the incident. “We're waiting for the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death, and necessary action will be taken accordingly,” said a police official.