Earlier this year healthy, paid volunteers became the test subjects for a new drug made to treat leukemia and chronic inflammation. Two were given harmless placebos, while the other six volunteers were given the drug, which was in its first phase of human testing. All six patients reported tragic side effects, and a few nearly died.
Several weeks ago one volunteer, David Oakley, tested positive for the early stages of cancer. Strange cells had shown up in his blood tests, which doctors confirmed as signs of the disease. They say since it was caught so early, the cancer is treatable.
"I can't dwell on it because if I dwell on it I'm just going to go down in a heap," Oakley said of his struggle to remain positive.
Other volunteers experienced side effects that posed serious health risks; the neck of one patient increased to three times its normal size, while another patient's head grew to the size of his waist. Oakley believes the drug company Paraxel should be held accountable for their wrongdoing.
Paraxel denies any wrongdoing and insist their practices met legal requirements, although investigation by British regulatory agencies found that procedures were not followed properly.
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