Pharmaceutical Research, Democracy and Conspiracy

Studies of phenomena such as clinical trials usually focus on either the mechanisms involved in conducting or regulating operations at the global level, or ethical issues concerning the exploitation of individuals at the local level. In Pharmaceutical Research, Democracy and Conspiracy, Edison Bicudo examines the connections between global and local scales, exploring how it is possible for social actors as different as global companies and patients of local hospitals to come together and establish social relationships that may last many years. He identifies the implications of these global-local relationships for the financial, technical and cultural structures of the participating hospitals. His study draws on fieldwork conducted in five countries: the UK, Spain, France, Brazil and South Africa.