Botched drug trial has disastrous results, leaving one dead

by: | January 25, 2016
Botched drug trial has disastrous results, leaving one dead
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

(NaturalHealth365) One man has died and several others remain hospitalized, some with permanent brain damage, following a recent drug trial that went tragically wrong in France. The early-stage trial was designed to test the safety of an oral medication manufactured by Portuguese drug maker BIAL.

Five participants were initially hospitalized, including a man who was left brain dead and later died, as well as three others suspected of having permanent brain damage. Other participants in the study are also said to be suffering neurological disorders.

Another example of big pharma putting profits over safety

A total of 128 participants took part in the BIAL study. Of those, 90 received the drug at some dosage level and the remaining 38 were given a placebo. The experimental drug was known as a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzyme inhibitor. Little additional information has been forthcoming from the company.

Early reports by media, however, suggested the test drug was likely compound BIA 10-2474, a drug the company described online as a candidate drug for treating “neurological and psychiatric pathologies.”

Synthetic drugs of this type are known to inhibit enzymes within the body’s endocannabinoid system, or ECS, blocking the natural degradation of cannabinoids in the human body and causing their levels to increase. The ECS is known to be a master controller of physiology and metabolic function within the human body.

Drug companies clearly see the value of medical cannabis

The ECS produces chemical messengers known as endocannabinoids as well as protein receptors that detect and receive signals from other cells. A portion of ECS enzymes act to remove excess cannabinoids through a natural degradation process.

It is suspected that drug companies are working on synthetic drugs that would take the place of medical marijuana. In essence, this would allow big pharma to patent synthetic versions of what would otherwise be an effective pain treatment with a natural substance.

In addition to the patient who died, four other individuals exhibited neurological symptoms of varying severity. A neurologist speaking on behalf of the hospital where the study subjects were being treated has stated that at least three of the four are very likely to suffer irreversible disabilities in the best of outcomes. A sixth patient remains under close observation.

Not the first trial drug to cause permanent and severe damage

Unfortunately, the BIAL drug trial is not the only incidence of a drug trial that has gone wrong with study participants paying the price. Big pharma has a history of errors taking place during drug research, where the end goal is often to replicate a patent-eligible synthetic substance to do what could be achieved by natural means.

In 2006, six men barely escaped death during a clinical trial conducted by U.S.-based Parexel at a research site in London for a drug targeting cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Although they lived, some lost fingers and toes, and all were left at increased risk of cancer and autoimmune disease.

In another trial gone wrong, a 26-year-old mentally ill man was allowed to participate an anti-psychotic drug study conducted in 2004 at Minnesota’s Centre for Bioethics in Minneapolis, despite a likely inability to comprehend the risks. Six months after starting the trial, he stabbed himself to death after study administrators failed to address obvious signs of suicide.

A 1999 Pennsylvania drug study of experimental treatment for a genetic liver condition resulted in the death of an 18-year-old male. Researchers were found to have broken several rules of conduct. The teen died of massive organ failure and brain death four days into the study.

In his September 2014 blog, science writer Brian Dunning relates his experience taking part in a clinical trial for an asthma drug. Important criteria for acceptance into the trial were misrepresented to allow his participation. Later, test results and medical examinations were falsified.

Dunning, who says he stayed in the study even after these atrocities to see just how far the misconduct would go, was blatantly coached on how to answer questionnaires during the course of the study before finally dropping out.

Be diligent about your health

Safeguard your health and your life. Remember, big pharma is not in the healthcare business. Pharmaceutical companies are focused on profits, not on ensuring they “do no harm.”

The allure of participating in clinical trials for testing new drugs can be particularly strong for those suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Instead of falling prey to the dangers of testing drugs, research the best natural health approaches for your condition.

In addition, always do your best to commit to a daily diet that relies on non-processed, whole foods.

References:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/what-we-know-so-far-about-clinical-trial-disaster-france
https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/french-drug-trial-turns-disastrous-leaving-1-brain-dead-and-5-hospitalized
https://www.bial.com/en/pressroom.138/news.140/news_release.a554.html

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments