Two men fighting for their lives as drug trial goes wrong

TWO men were fighting for their lives last night after falling desperately ill when taking part in a drug trial in London.

They were in a critical condition in hospital while four others were “serious” but showing some signs of improvement.

The girlfriend of one man said he looked “like the Elephant Man” after being given a dose of the drug.

He is a 28-year-old Briton who had taken part in trials before without adverse side effects but was now with the other five in the intensive care unit at Northwick Park hospital, Harrow, north-west London.

The drug, known as TGN1412, is made by the pharmaceutical company TeGenero AG, based in Wurzburg, Germany.

It is intended to fight leukaemia, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

The company said these were “shocking developments” in the testing of a new medicine which showed no signs of any safety problems in previous testing. Thomas Hanke, chief scientific officer, said: “Our first concern right now is for the patients and families and that they get all treatment possible.

"We are confident with the excellent treatment at this hospital and have made ourselves available to answer any questions from the doctor about the drug.”

Myfanwy Marshall, 35, said her boyfriend, one of the six patients, felt ill 80 or 90 minutes after being given a dose on Monday.

She told BBC News 24: “He is like a shell of who he is and this machine is pumping out his lungs.

“His chest is puffed out. He is already a big kind of guy but his face is out here, like Elephant Man, it’s completely puffed. His friends can’t even face seeing him. I have to stay there looking behind the wires and the puffiness because he is in there. They haven’t got a cure.

“This is a drug they have never tested on humans before so they don’t know what they are dealing with. It’s completely messed up their vital organs.”

Her boyfriend, a bar manager in London, had decided to join the trial on impulse, as someone he loaned money to had failed to pay him, his wallet had been stolen and he had bills to pay.

He told her the testing was for a cure for leukaemia and when she protested against him joining the programme he said: “I am helping mankind.”