On a personal front, I passed my PLAB 2. A lot of the credit must go to the live mannequin I had in the form of Antara who never complained while I conducted knee, hip, RS examinations and CPR on her. "Are you Ok? Are you allright?" Of course, she often carried he simulations too far as in the case when she was Ms. Ganglion with facial palsy and of course proceeded to have Bitemporal hemianopia and R lateral rectus palsy. I have never witnessed worse hamming.
Of course, she also contrived to make it very hard for me by "making loud noises while asleep" on the night before my exam. Thank you anyway!!
The first HIV Vaccine clinical trial began in India yesterday. It is being conducted at Pune at the National Aids Research Institute under the direction of Dr.Sanjay Mehendale. It is a Phase I clinical trial which means that it is a safety study on asymptomatic volunteers looking at the safety profile of the vaccine. Of course, the vaccine has already gone through pre-clinical trials in animals. Unfortunately, I have never read any stuff about it in any papers. Its a AAV vector and again there has been no information about the antigen being used.
I have no problems against running this trial in India, except that there are certain areas of concern :
1. How much money is India getting to allow this? By this I mean, is the NARI getting a large grant which will allow it to build and develop its own research activites?what is the MoUthat the NACO and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed with IAVI( International AIDS Vaccine Initiative)
2. Why have no details about the vaccine been made public? The company making the vaccine Targeted Genetics are obviously shy about divulging the details, but it seems surprising to me that they are conducting this trial in Belgium, Germany and India. I dont understand the logic, unless the HIV-1 clade C is prevalent in these countries.
3. Its very surprising that there has been no human clinical data generated in these countries first before they come to India. I mean for a safety study, can be done anywhere and should stand up to geographical and genetic differences. This is what Adrian Hill does with malaria. First does the Phase I in Oxford and then takes the vaccine to The Gambia.
I think this is an important trial and a landmark one. It is the first time that such a responsibility has been entrusted to India and Indian scientists. IAVI is a respected organisation and I have no doubt that all the necessary precautions have been taken. I only hope that the vaccine is actually immunogenic and useful. I think that Indian scientists must firstly give priority to developing thier own vaccines and vaccine candidates and apply for funding to international organisations. Also, they should become more selective about the vaccine candidates they use. I have asked people in the lab and they were slightly sceptical about AAV. Its hasn't been shown to be as immunogenic as other viral vectors.
Dont misunderstand me, I am all for vaccine trials especially as I sort of do that for a living, but I am sort of suspicious of this clinical trial outsourcing. I am slightly wary that this will allow pharma companies to outsource their clinical testing to Indian companies. With ethical guidelines and standards not yet firmly in place in India, it might allow pharma companies to get away with some unscrupulous trials.
I also found this interesting feature that the WHO is running. As part of the Maternal and Child health initiative for World Health Day 2005, they are featuring 6 mothers-to-be from different countries and are following them through the entire duration of their pregnancies.
Also, Ellen MacArthur finally came back to Falmouth yesterday after 71 days 14 hours 18 minutes and 33 seconds and was immediately conferred the title of "Dame" by the Queen. I think it was truly a remarkable achievement and she fully deserves all the accolades and adoration she is getting at present. As many have concurred, she is probably the world's best solo sailor today - quite a feat.
Oh Yes, before I forget. Heard Mark Haddon, the author of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time talk today in Oxford at the Richard Hillary Memorial Lecture. In case you haven't read the book, I strongly urge you to read it. Its a lovely book, touching, funny, quirky and odd. I remember reading the book and after three pages or so going," There is something odd about this book". I wont tell you what it is and spoil it for you, but some gossip from the literary world.
His next book is titled, " Blood and Scissors" and his first book is going to be made into a movie by Heyday Films, the people who made Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
He spoke really well and talked about his motivations to be a writer and what it takes to be a writer. As he puts it, its not something you can learn or be taught unlike being a barrister or something. He believes that you suddenly learn it about yourself like realising that you are gay. Interesting, especially because I always thought that like Garp you could actually decide to be a writer.
Ok, enough for today, better head to bed.
Thought for the day :
LOVE is a breach in the walls, a broken gate,
Where that comes in that shall not go again;
Love sells the proud heart’s citadel to Fate.
They have known shame, who love unloved. Even then,
When two mouths, thirsty each for each, find slaking,
And agony’s forgot, and hushed the crying
Of credulous hearts, in heaven—such are but taking
Their own poor dreams within their arms, and lying
Each in his lonely night, each with a ghost.
Some share that night. But they know love grows colder, 10
Grows false and dull, that was sweet lies at most.
Astonishment is no more in hand or shoulder,
But darkens, and dies out from kiss to kiss.
All this is love; and all love is but this.
No comments:
Post a Comment