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WORLD NEWSSaturday 16 January 2016
1 man brain dead, 5 others hospitalized in French drug trial
THOMAS ADAMSON French Health Minister Marisol Touraine, left, and Professor Gilles Edan, the chief neuroscientist at a drug evaluation com-
Associated Press Rennes Hospital, address the media during a press conference held in Rennes, western France, pany based in Rennes, on
PARIS (AP) — One man Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Six previously healthy medical volunteers have been hospitalized — behalf of the Portuguese
was brain dead and three including one man who is now brain dead — after taking part in a botched drug test at the Biotrial pharmaceutical company
others faced possible per- lab in western France, the French Health Ministry said Friday. Bial.
manent brain damage Touraine said that in addi-
after volunteering to take (AP Photo/David Vincent) tion to treating pain, the
part in a drug trial for a drug was intended to ease
painkiller based on a natu- unteers were being con- like this.” damage. A fifth man is suf- mood and anxiety troubles
ral brain compound similar tacted. The drug trial for the six fering from neurological as well as motor problems
to the active ingredient in Calling the case “unprece- hospitalized men began problems and a sixth man linked to neurodegenera-
marijuana, French authori- dented,” Touraine said she on Jan. 7 and was halted is being kept in the hospital tive illnesses by acting on
ties said Friday. was “deeply moved” by Monday, a day after the but is in less critical condi- the endocannabinoid sys-
The Paris prosecutor’s of- the suffering of the victims, first volunteer fell ill. tion, he said. tem.
fice opened an investi- who she met with earlier Fri- The chief neuroscientist at Edan said there’s no known In this system, natural brain
gation into what French day, along with their fami- the hospital in Rennes, Dr. way to reverse the effects compounds act on specif-
Health Minister Marisol lies. “We’ll do everything Gilles Edan, said in addition of the experimental drug, ic receptors to exert their
Touraine called “an acci- to understand what hap- to the brain-dead man, which was given orally to effects. The experimental
dent of exceptional grav- pened,” she said. “I don’t three other men could healthy volunteers as part drug is based on a natu-
ity” at a clinical trial lab in know of any other event have “irreversible” brain of a Phase 1 trial by Biotrial, ral brain compound similar
the western French city of to the active ingredient in
Rennes. marijuana.
The trial involved 90 healthy Touraine said the drug was
volunteers who were given not based on marijuana it-
the experimental drug in self, as some media reports
varying doses at different had claimed.
times, she told reporters “This drug is not cannabis.
at a news conference in It is not derived from can-
Rennes. nabis. It works on the natu-
Six male volunteers be- ral system that helps fight
tween 28 and 49 years old pain,” she said, adding
have since been hospital- that no drug currently on
ized, including one man the market was implicated
now classified as brain in the failed trial.
dead, Touraine said, add- Bial, the Portuguese drug
ing that the other 83 vol- producer, said Friday that
108 healthy people had
EU, British officials upbeat about reform deal already taken part in trials
involving the drug and had
RAF CASERT Cameron has promised to the EU needs to fundamen- bers, said the welfare issue no moderate or serious re-
JILL LAWLESS tally change the way it is would be “particularly dif- actions. Bial added that
Associated Press hold the vote by the end of run, reducing bureaucracy ficult.” initial testing for the drug
BRUSSELS (AP) — Top offi- and handing more power Still, there was growing op- started in June following
cials in Britain and the Eu- 2017, and says he will argue to national legislatures. timism on both sides of the toxicology tests.
ropean Union say they are Other EU leaders are sym- Channel a deal could be For the French volunteers, it
optimistic about striking a to stay in the EU as long as pathetic to that view. brokered. was meant to be a way to
deal next month on reforms Cameron’s most conten- Osborne said the Treasury earn extra money and help
aimed at discouraging Brit- he gets a new deal for Brit- tious goal is to bar migrants was not making plans to develop a drug to treat
ain from leaving the 28-na- from other EU countries navigate Britain’s exit from people with pain and anxi-
tion bloc. ain, including more power from receiving some ben- the EU. ety. Adults volunteering for
EU Commission President efits until they have been in He also dismissed sug- Biotrial tests can earn be-
Jean-Claude Juncker said to curb immigration and Britain for up to four years. gestions — made by Lon- tween 100 euros and 4,500
Friday that he is “quite sure” Many other EU leaders see don Mayor Boris Johnson, euros ($110 to $4,920).
a deal will be brokered at looser ties with the Brussels- that as violating the fun- among others — that a It’s rare for volunteers to fall
a Feb. 18-19 summit in Brus- damental principle of free referendum vote to leave seriously ill during Phase 1
sels. That would allow Prime based EU. movement among the could trigger negotiations trials, which study safe us-
Minister David Cameron bloc’s member states. on re-entry under different age, side effects and other
to call a referendum on “I’m quite sure that we will Juncker, who has acted as terms. measures on healthy vol-
Britain’s EU membership as a facilitator between Brit- “There’s no second vote,” unteers, rather than drug
soon as the summer. have a deal, not a com- ain and the other EU mem- he told the BBC.q effectiveness.q
promise, a solution, not a
weak compromise, a per-
manent solution in Febru-
ary,” Juncker said in Brus-
sels.
British Treasury chief George
Osborne said the “essential
pieces” of a deal were fall-
ing into place.
Cameron argues
