Unethical Face Book Cashing in on Drug Guinea Pigs.
MORE FACE BOOK SCANDAL
The Sunday Telegraph has uncovered evidence of a "clinical trial recruitment consultancy" targeting social network users with financial incentives to be human guinea pigs.
In Australia, drug companies and researchers are explicitly forbidden from using payments or inducements to recruit volunteers under National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) ethical conduct rules.
Have you been targeted on Facebook? Tell us below
Only reasonable expenses such as transport, food and parking can be reimbursed.
This is to prevent people becoming involved for financial rather than altruistic reasons, as in the UK and US where people will "sell their bodies" for research.
The truth about drug trials
But the company Rewards for Research is sending messages and email alerts with promises of money to potential candidates using social networking sites including Twitter to target young people who are desperate for cash.
Last month it started recruiting for a "$600 Medical Trial for those with Asthma" in Sydney and Queensland. The message - seen by The Sunday Telegraph - clearly offers money to take part.
Rewards for Research managing director Nick Karrasch, who reportedly has 10,000 people on his database, denied knowledge of cash offers in his emails and claimed he was simply advertising on behalf of his clients.
"We are not offering rewards for research, that's just our name," Mr Karrasch said. "There are lots of rewards for taking part in research, such as advancing scientific research and trying to help create and get new drugs onto the market."
But another posting left by his company on Facebook spruiked a "$2000.00 Medical Trial for South East Asians in Adelaide".
Other trials have reportedly paid participants up to $5000.
The Facebook group Rewards for Research has more than 1000 members, who receive regular messages about recruiting trials.
One young woman has posted on the group wall "easiest 300 ever! excluding the blood sample part:("
Another member responded: "i don't know about easy. I was crying for hours" and a third said "u get used to the needles... but the times (sic) in there is fun"
Apart from Facebook, Mr Karrasch has profiles on Twitter, MySpace and bebo.
Although the NHMRC states "payment that is disproportionate to the time involved or any other inducement that is likely to encourage participants to take risks is ethically unacceptable", enforcement is left up to the institution where research takes place.
"NHMRC sets the standard and (the institution's) human research ethics committees consider clinical trial proposals to assess amongst other ethical issues the suitability of payments or reimbursements," a spokeswoman said.
"'People thinking about taking part in a clinical trial should check that the trial has received an ethics committee approval and should ask themselves whether they would still take risks if no payment was offered."
Most formed opinion would be "certainly not"
Mr Karrasch, whose business address is a post office box in South Brisbane, names clients Q-Pharm Pty Ltd and AusTrials on his website. He has also registered the domain name trialfacts.com
Rewards for Research says it uses "innovative online marketing techniques" to "help companies solve the patient recruitment problem". Mr Karrasch asked The Sunday Telegraph to use the term "compensation" instead of remuneration, although his latest clinical trial alert clearly offers "remuneration of $600".
"We are directed by our clients, who are responsible for content, and ensure approval by ethics committees," he said.
More Bum Stabbing Stories emerge from the vatican.Cardinal condemns 'gossip' at Easter Mass
A senior cardinal defended Pope Benedict XVI from "petty gossip" as the pontiff maintained his silence on mounting sex abuse cover-up accusations during his Easter message.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36166058/ns/world_news-europe/from/ET
Cardinal condemns 'gossip' at Easter Mass
A senior cardinal defended Pope Benedict XVI from "petty gossip" as the pontiff maintained his silence on mounting sex abuse cover-up accusations during his Easter message.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36166058/ns/world_news-europe/from/ET
Vest say's, Matrimonny is the obvious answer to these continual sex scandals within the Catholic Church Hetro or gay unions would be better than the archaic miss fist arrangements presently in place.
Anglican priests rarely get a mention in this field of misbehaviour.
Or maybe denutting would resolve the dillemma for the likes of father Bennydickedus.
The Sunday Telegraph has uncovered evidence of a "clinical trial recruitment consultancy" targeting social network users with financial incentives to be human guinea pigs.
In Australia, drug companies and researchers are explicitly forbidden from using payments or inducements to recruit volunteers under National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) ethical conduct rules.
Have you been targeted on Facebook? Tell us below
Only reasonable expenses such as transport, food and parking can be reimbursed.
This is to prevent people becoming involved for financial rather than altruistic reasons, as in the UK and US where people will "sell their bodies" for research.
The truth about drug trials
But the company Rewards for Research is sending messages and email alerts with promises of money to potential candidates using social networking sites including Twitter to target young people who are desperate for cash.
Last month it started recruiting for a "$600 Medical Trial for those with Asthma" in Sydney and Queensland. The message - seen by The Sunday Telegraph - clearly offers money to take part.
Rewards for Research managing director Nick Karrasch, who reportedly has 10,000 people on his database, denied knowledge of cash offers in his emails and claimed he was simply advertising on behalf of his clients.
"We are not offering rewards for research, that's just our name," Mr Karrasch said. "There are lots of rewards for taking part in research, such as advancing scientific research and trying to help create and get new drugs onto the market."
But another posting left by his company on Facebook spruiked a "$2000.00 Medical Trial for South East Asians in Adelaide".
Other trials have reportedly paid participants up to $5000.
The Facebook group Rewards for Research has more than 1000 members, who receive regular messages about recruiting trials.
One young woman has posted on the group wall "easiest 300 ever! excluding the blood sample part:("
Another member responded: "i don't know about easy. I was crying for hours" and a third said "u get used to the needles... but the times (sic) in there is fun"
Apart from Facebook, Mr Karrasch has profiles on Twitter, MySpace and bebo.
Although the NHMRC states "payment that is disproportionate to the time involved or any other inducement that is likely to encourage participants to take risks is ethically unacceptable", enforcement is left up to the institution where research takes place.
"NHMRC sets the standard and (the institution's) human research ethics committees consider clinical trial proposals to assess amongst other ethical issues the suitability of payments or reimbursements," a spokeswoman said.
"'People thinking about taking part in a clinical trial should check that the trial has received an ethics committee approval and should ask themselves whether they would still take risks if no payment was offered."
Most formed opinion would be "certainly not"
Mr Karrasch, whose business address is a post office box in South Brisbane, names clients Q-Pharm Pty Ltd and AusTrials on his website. He has also registered the domain name trialfacts.com
Rewards for Research says it uses "innovative online marketing techniques" to "help companies solve the patient recruitment problem". Mr Karrasch asked The Sunday Telegraph to use the term "compensation" instead of remuneration, although his latest clinical trial alert clearly offers "remuneration of $600".
"We are directed by our clients, who are responsible for content, and ensure approval by ethics committees," he said.
More Bum Stabbing Stories emerge from the vatican.Cardinal condemns 'gossip' at Easter Mass
A senior cardinal defended Pope Benedict XVI from "petty gossip" as the pontiff maintained his silence on mounting sex abuse cover-up accusations during his Easter message.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36166058/ns/world_news-europe/from/ET
Cardinal condemns 'gossip' at Easter Mass
A senior cardinal defended Pope Benedict XVI from "petty gossip" as the pontiff maintained his silence on mounting sex abuse cover-up accusations during his Easter message.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36166058/ns/world_news-europe/from/ET
Vest say's, Matrimonny is the obvious answer to these continual sex scandals within the Catholic Church Hetro or gay unions would be better than the archaic miss fist arrangements presently in place.
Anglican priests rarely get a mention in this field of misbehaviour.
Or maybe denutting would resolve the dillemma for the likes of father Bennydickedus.
Comments
The Catholic Pope. now "Hails Mary".
Now it was different in the 1940s, your Christian Pope was a excuberant teenage leader within the German Fascist Hitler youth party, a person specially groomed and loving his job; no less. No "Hail Mary's" then, his god and master being Adolfe Hitler, one of the most despicable world leaders ever on our planet.
Mike.
"When der fuhrer say's ve are der master race.
Seig Heil Seig Heil right in der fuhrers face.
mum says like the Wongs, who said 'I wonder where the yellow went' they were told by the doctor,'I brushed you both with Pepsodent'
I can imagine father Brown chanting absolution while cumming up astern.