Scientists Publish Letter Urging Changes To Testing

An expert at Irwin Mitchell has backed new calls for the government to reassess its drugs strategy to counter the number of patients who are injured or killed due to adverse reactions to pharmaceutical products.

In a letter published in the Lancet, scientists have urged that the current system for drugs testing is given a rethink, with the experts particularly stating that an over-reliance on animal testing is not protecting patients from harm.

It has been suggested that rather than relying upon animal testing during product development, experiments should be developed using human cells which may be able to give a better indication of potential adverse reactions in humans.

The calls for a new approach have been welcomed by Irwin Mitchell’s product liability team, which provides support to people who have suffered injury as a result of adverse reactions to pharmaceutical products.

Gary Walker, a solicitor who specialises in such claims, said: “Any organisation involved in the healthcare sector always needs to put the safety of patients at the top of its list of priorities.

“Rigorous testing of drug products and regulatory scrutiny are both essential for all pharmaceutical products and previous cases have shown that failure to carry out adequate testing can be disastrous for patients.

“These calls for a new approach highlight how keen a huge number of medical experts are to ensure their patients get the best possible treatment and are not put at potential risk as a result of inadequate testing procedures.

“It is now time for the government to react to this and put provisions in place which will ensure that patients battling all kinds of conditions have access to the highest quality of drugs, as well as the safest products."