A British Indian's drug trial nightmare

A management student, who agreed to be part of the trial, is facing problems which doctors feel may be long-term.

An Indian student, who completed a management course and agreed to be part of a drug trial, has been struggling to cope with the effects of the trial and is looking forward to returning to India.

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Navneet Modi agreed to a drug trial for US testing firm Parexel in March, but is now said to be a pale shadow of his former outgoing self.

He is reported to be taking antidepressants and medication to stop his skin from itching.

London-based Modi also has problems with his bowels and kidneys and his eyes feel permanently dry. He needs to apply eye drops regularly.

Reports say that he may have suffered long-term damage, including malignant lymphoma, which the drug was supposed to cure.

He told the Evening Standard, "I have memory problems. I can't remember my family. I keep crying for no reason. I feel so unsure about the future."

Parexel had reportedly paid him almost £4,000 for trials on two previous occasions.

"Parexel has done nothing for us. Parexel has refused to get involved. They wouldn't even pay for the taxi to take us home from hospital," he said.

Reports say that on the day of the trial, he was the third of the guinea pigs to be injected with TGN1412.

He started suffering headaches but was told not to worry. Later, he felt pressure in his skull and in his back. He says he was given paracetamol for the pain.

Soon, he was slipping in and out of consciousness, and he soon had to be wheeled into Northwick Park's intensive care unit where he was given steroids that his lawyers argue should have been administered almost 16 hours earlier.