Drugs Rarely Become Available In Lower-Income Countries Where They're Tested, Study Says

Key Takeaways

Many countries participate in testing for drugs that never become available to their citizens

Only a quarter of drugs approved in the United States wound up available to citizens in other countries where they were tested

High-income countries were most likely to get the drugs, while middle- and low-income countries were less likely

TUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Pharmaceutical companies are using the citizens of lower-income countries as guinea pigs to test cutting-edge drugs headed mainly for the United States and other well-off nations, a new study says.

Only a quarter of medicines tested in other countries wound up available to the citizens there within five years of the drugs’ approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), researchers reported No