Clinical Trial Tragedy In France; 1 Man Died, 5 Admitted In The Hospital After Volunteering

A total of six French men who volunteered to take part in a clinical drug trial of a painkiller unluckily suffered an adverse effect of the medication. One of them died and five others are still admitted in the hospital in a stable condition but feared to have irreversible brain damage.

The Rennes University Hospital in France announced the death of the man who suffered from the toxic effect of a drug he took after taking part in the phase one clinical trial for humans on a painkiller and mood disorder pill a Portuguese pharmaceutical company, Bial, are developing. The activity was held on a clinic in France headed by the research company Biotrial according to The Guardian.

In this matter, French health minister Marisol Touraine claimed that a total of 108 people took part in the test; 90 were given the drug in varying doses while others were given placebo pills. These men aged 28-30, are part of the trial group who began to take the drug with a higher dose on Jan. 7.

As a result, one volunteer was admitted to the hospital after feeling sick after three days followed by five others who felt the same way in the succeeding days. After the incident, all the volunteers who took the drug was traced and contacted -- being followed by the trial's suspension.

Moreover, as posted on CBC News, the Paris prosecutor's office expanded the investigation regarding the incident for possible manslaughter charges. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical company responsible is currently working with authorities to determine the specific cause of the tragedy knowing that the desired effect of the drug is to decrease pain and ease the mood and anxiety problems, as well as help with the motor difficulties experienced by people who suffer neurodegenerative illnesses.

Hence, Bial chief executive Antonio Portela extended the company's apology to the family of the volunteer who died according to ABC News.