Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known for its cutting-edge research in pharmaceuticals. Dr. Srinivasan is heading a research team working on a new drug aimed at treating a rapidly spreading variant of a new viral infectious disease. The disease has been rapidly spreading across the world and the cases reported in the country are increasing. There is huge pressure on Dr. Srinivasan’s team to expedite the trials for the drug as there is a significant market for it, and the company wants to get the first-mover advantage in the market. During a team meeting, some senior team members suggest some shortcut for expediting the clinical trials for the drug and for getting the requisite approvals. These include manipulating data to exclude some negative outcomes and selectively reporting positive results, foregoing the process of informed consent and using compounds already patented by a rival company, rather than developing one’s own component. Dr. Srinivasan is not comfortable taking such shortcuts, at the same time he realises meeting the targets is impossible without using these means.
What the examiner wants
In this Biomedical Research & Clinical-Trial Ethics case (Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known for its…), separate facts/constraints from the value conflict and resolve the explicit asks in order: Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known for…; then suggest some shortcut for expediting the clinical trials for the drug and for getting the…. Defend the preferred option against realistic alternatives.
Demand-wise check
- 1Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known for its cutting-edge research in pharmaceuticals. Dr. Srinivasan is heading a research team working on a new drug…≈95 words
- 2suggest some shortcut for expediting the clinical trials for the drug and for getting the requisite approvals. These include manipulating data to exclude some negative outcomes and selectively reporting…≈95 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Where marks usually go
- Over-writing ‘Dr. Srinivasan is a senior scientist working for a reputed biotechnology company known…’ while reducing ‘suggest some shortcut for expediting the clinical trials for the drug and for getting…’ to a token paragraph
- Naming values without testing each feasible option for legality, affected stakeholders, consequences, implementation risk and reversibility
Value addition
- Biomedical Research & Clinical-Trial Ethics: stakeholder map beside a 4-column option matrix — option | legality/ethics | consequences | mitigation
→ Draw it in the body, next to the point it supports.
Verified value additions
These are verified official-source additions selected for this exact PYQ. Use only the point that strengthens your argument.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 14 minutes, then get it checked.