Kill or Cure? An encounter with Eric, a young man
severely disabled by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), prompts Dr
Ray Shepherd to join the famous neurologist, Professor
Gerard Carter, to study new treatments. Ray's
relationship with Carter is uneasy from the outset.
Early in their animal studies, genetically modified mice
are exposed in error to prions, the cause of mad cow
disease. To his amazement, Ray discovers that this
reverses the nerve damage caused by MS. Faced with a
potential miracle cure, the team plans a clinical trial
in humans. Recruiting for the trial, Ray encounters the
heart breaking stories of all kinds of people dying of
this awful disease. As the trial progresses, some make a
spectacular physical recovery while others continue to
deteriorate. However, severe behavioural and psychotic
symptoms begin to appear in some of the responders.
Carter, who is negotiating a multi-million dollar deal
to develop the treatment, demands that Ray falsifies
their clinical records, removing reference to these
problems, and threatens to destroy Ray's career if he
does not comply. While Ray tries to gather evidence to
expose Carter as a fraud, the terrible consequences of
the psychotic side effects unfold in the most dramatic
way...Dealing with the discovery of a potential cure for
multiple sclerosis, this novel leads you into the world
of laboratory animal research and human clinical trials.
David J Godden's real life experience gives an insider's
view of the consequences of medical research
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