Bodies for Rent

A recent investigation by the IJB published in the Toronto Star found that private companies in Canada are recruiting thousands of often financially desperate test subjects each year to participate in clinical trials. The question remains – if we want to ensure safer studies for participants and improve critical research, what is the best way forward? Five healthcare experts share their thoughts.

Following our multi-year investigation into the clinical trials industry, reporter Masih Khalatbari shares a personal reflection on the challenges, revelations, and impact of this project. This is Behind the Reporting.

The IJB's Rob Cribb visits The Big Story on the Frequency Podcast Network to discuss our investigation exposing the hidden realities of the clinical trials industry.

Bodies for Rent takes us inside the hidden world of pharmaceutical drug testing. The documentary follows the experiences of two professional clinical trial subjects who make their living volunteering to consume experimental drugs in exchange for money. Economic challenges have pushed them into this line of work, where they’ve faced significant medical risks.

Clinical trials that test drugs on healthy participants are a vital part of pharmaceutical development, but some private practices encourage subjects to lie, endangering their health and data used to approve drugs.