British medical journal, The Lancet, has called for an open and independent investigation of what went wrong with the small phase I clinical trial of TGN-1412 that had six men in intensive care within hours of the trial beginning.
“Commercial confidentiality should not obstruct independent scrutiny of the drug trial that led to six men becoming seriously ill in Northwick Park Hospital in London, UK,” states an Editorial in the Journal, “Both TeGenero and The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – who authorised the trial – denied The Lancet’s request to see the protocol stating that it is ‘commercially sensitive’.”
News has been terse to say the least since the initial media frenzy regarding the trial. Quite bizarrely, Northwick Park Hospital in north west London, is where eccentric UK medical comedy Green Wing is recorded.