| | |  Health & Beauty | December 2009 
Volunteers for Anti-Diarrhoea Drug Offered Free Holiday to Mexico
 Chris Irvine - Telegraph UK
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December 29, 2009
| | Volunteers are being offered a free trip to Mexico or Guatemala on the condition that they test a new drug for travellers' diarrhoea. | |
The 'Trek Study', sponsored by Intercell, a US vaccine manufacturer, will provide 1,800 volunteers aged 18 to 64, with three-star hotels.
They are allowed eat and drink what they choose, with the only catch being they do not go more than three hours' travelling time from one of the test centres where they will be required to attend for blood tests and provide stool samples should they become ill.
The vaccine has already been tested on humans and an initial study with 170 American volunteers found that it reduced the incidence of diarrhoea by 75 per cent.
For the new study, volunteers are being recruited in Germany and Britain. The British study is being co-ordinated by the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, with recruitment clinics set up around the country.
The vaccine is delivered through a patch worn on the arm for six hours three weeks prior to travelling, followed by a booster dose delivered by a second patch one week before travelling.
Thomas Lingelbach, chief executive of Intercell, said they wanted to attract volunteers from different geographical areas because travellers' diarrhoea is different in different regions.
Dr Nigel Thomas, clinical director at Intercell, told The Independent: "We are looking for people who have already planned to go to Mexico or Guatemala and think this would add another interesting aspect. We cover their expenses – flights and accommodation – nothing beyond that.
"It is almost like going on a package holiday. They will be met by a concierge who will take them to their hotel and arrange for them to give their first blood sample within 48 hours. We need them to agree to be co-operative. Everyone has heard of travellers' diarrhoea."
He added that the results of the study could be compromised if volunteers chose to eat only in five-star hotels, adding: "If a traveller is interested in the country they will end up eating outside hotel restaurants." |
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