“Geographical randomization” and “Social exploitation” in clinical research: World trials in Santiago, Chile

In the discussion of global clinical trials, two ideas are frequently advanced. Firstly, it is sometimes articulated that companies can displace clinical protocols between countries quite easily (what I propose to call “geographical randomization”). The second idea conveys that global trials lead to the exploitation of poor regions and poor people (“social exploitation”). By analyzing the context of Santiago, the capital city of Chile, I argue that, although these ideas are not myths, they cannot capture the whole complexity of global trials. On the one hand, geographical factors restrain the mobility of the clinical trials industry. On the other, studies tend to be concentrated in wealthier areas with more affluent people.