GSK denies drug trial allegations

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has dismissed allegations that a Russian trial on children was illegal as “untrue and unfounded”.

Clinical tests of three of the group’s vaccines have been halted at the Railway Hospital by authorities in Volgograd after claims were made that some of the subjects had existing health troubles despite approval being given on the condition that only healthy volunteers are used.

Allegations have also been received asserting that some parents whose children took part in trials of vaccination treatments for illnesses including chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella thought the injections were routine and did not realise they were taking part in testing, reports Outsourcing-Pharma.

However, a GSK spokesperson said: “As far as we are concerned these reports are untrue and unfounded.”

In addition, the representative remarked: “We’re extremely concerned about these unsubstantiated and untrue allegations.”

The spokesperson also refused to speculate on why someone would send such allegations to various Russian media sources.

Both GSK and the southern Russian hospital, which was contracted by the pharmaceutical firm to conduct the trials, are appealing against the authorities’ decision to stop testing while the claims are investigated.

The Russian trials on Varilrix, Priorix and Priorix Tetra form part of GSK’s wider study which includes testing on the vaccines involving 5,700 children across Europe.