Government sets up trial management group

The government has announced that it is to set up a group to manage medical trails.

Following the recent Parexel human testing disaster, the new group will look at the science surrounding monoclonal antibody treatment and how to manage its future trials.

Professor Gordon Duff will lead as well as pick and choose the group that will report to the government on how best to proceed with monoclonal antibody treatment trials.

Health minister Lord Warner said on the decision to create a group: “Clinical trials in general have an excellent safety record, but it is vital we learn lessons from this incident to avoid any similar situations in the future.”

Six young men were taken to hospital last month after testing an anti-inflammatory drug for drug-company Parexel, but it went horribly wrong, leaving victims looking like “the Elephant Man”.

Drugs such as this are meant to treat rheumatoid arthritis, leukaemia and multiple sclerosis, which is why the government is keen to continue research.

Work is to start immediately by Professor Duff to appoint a team and start research, even before feedback from the Parexel trials is in, with their labour expected to last several months.

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