Pfizer’s clinical research unit based at Erasmus Hospital is celebrating its 30th anniversary. An important center in the development of drugs and vaccines because they are “tested” on humans before they are marketed. There are only 2 centers of this type in the world. One of our teams was able to visit one based in Brussels.
On screens in the research center located in Anderlecht, nurses and doctors follow the condition of the volunteers in real time: they have taken an experimental drug. “These are perfectly healthy people, we give the medicine to see how quickly it passes through the blood, into the urine… Do an electrocardiogram to see if there is any damage to the heart, blood pressure, etc. We follow. “They live on heart monitors and cameras.”Explain Isabelle Huyghe, doctor in charge of studies at the Pzifer Clinical Research Unit.
There are currently 8,000 registered drug testers. You must be over 18 years of age and in good health to participate. Victor is one of the volunteers, who prefers to remain anonymous: this is the third time he has tried the experiment. “In the three studies I did, I did not experience any side effects. In general, for other participants, you see that headaches are beautiful things. For me, the main motivation is obvious. Money, when I have a project, a trip, it is better to come to Pzifer. , for example, we have 23 days, so it’s very long. We can’t leave the building. We sometimes walk. 3-4 days”Details of Drug Tester.
Compensation is 215 euros per day. The test can last from a few hours to several weeks.
Participants’ blood and urine samples are analyzed. 10,000 are stored in freezers. Some analyzes must be carried out in the United States with more advanced machines. After various testing phases it can take 8 to 12 years to bring a drug to the market. We started this unit for 30 years and tested many medicines. But the pride is that after many years those medicines are available to the patients. Some medicines are for AIDS, Hepatitis etc. C, covid… many drugs in oncology, cancer, painkillers”was created Isabelle Huyghé.
A resuscitation trolley is located on each floor in case of an allergic or other reaction to a medication. But in this category, according to the head of the studies, the testers had no serious side effects in 30 years.
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