Personal injury news

Drug trial victims appoint personal injury solicitors

Victims of a drug trial that left six men fighting for their lives in hospital could potentially receive millions of pounds in compensation.

A personal injury solicitor representing four of the six men believes they are entitled to millions of pounds for the trial that went so horrifically wrong at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, North West London.

Martyn Day, of Leigh Day & Co lawyers claimed that a report published by an independent working group points the finger directly at Parexel, who ran the trial. The drug victims suffered serious personal injuries including major organ failure and face longer-term health problems with their immune systems.

The anti-arthritis drug, which worked by stimulating the immune system, was known to have a risk of patients suffering a dangerous immune response called cytokine release syndrome. The drug manufacturer, TeGenero, had suggested that a high dose of steroids should be given to the patients if they suffered cytokine release syndrome but it is alleged Parexel failed to do so.

Personal injury solicitor, Martyn Day, said that Parexel should have done more in advance, "They need to make sure that the local hospitals are aware of what is going on. Staff at the Intensive Care Unit at Northwick Park had no idea of what was going on. How could they have known how to deal with such a complex reaction?"

Mr Day also claimed that the Medicines Health and Research Authority (MHRA), which is meant to ensure the safety of medical trials, should also accept part of the blame.

He said, "MHRA did not get an expert immunologist to check it out. They did not get an external opinion and consent for the trial was given so fast. It took just 17 days from application to consent. They can't be rigorous in that amount of time."

Spokesman for the MHRA, Silke Thomson said, "We approve 11,000 medical trials every year involving 90,000 to 95,000 volunteers and this reaction is not something you have very often. The last time this sort of thing happened was 20 years ago."

MHRA does not believe there is any question of negligence on their part for the trial and believes more care should be carried out when testing new drugs.

Mr Day commented on the progress of the personal injury claim, saying, "It is still early days and we are looking at what Parexel's position is and whether we can deal with this amicably. We are looking to claim several million pounds. There are
no similar cases, so it is difficult to compare other cases."