Emergency exit sign.

Ethics of Experimental Medicine During a Pandemic

Opinion leaders in politics, science, public health, pharmaceutics, regulation, and bioethics are invited to attend a free two-day conference on the “Ethics of Experimental Medicine During a Pandemic”:
  • What Two-day conference
  • When Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, 2014
  • Where Royal College of Physicians, London, UK
  • Registration Free, but please register via Eventbrite by May 31, 2014
  • More Information Sarah J.L. Edwards
Objectives   
  • To bring together a wide variety of opinion leaders to advance policy on this issue.
  • To review suggestions and approaches proposed in the Meeting Report of the WHO Technical Consultation held in 2009 on Research Ethics in International Epidemic Response and develop guidance in this area.
  • To suggest training material for researchers and ethics committees based on this conference and on the resulting guidance.
Program
Day One: June 6, 2014
  • 9:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee
  • 9:20 a.m. Introduction by Prof. Richard Barker, OBE, CASMI
Part 1: Experimental Medicine in Past Pandemics
Chair: Professor Jonathan Montgomery, Health Research Authority, Nuffield Council
  • 9:30 a.m. The Role of Science in a Pandemic
    Prof. David L. Heymann, MD, CBE, Chair, Public Health England
  • 10:00 a.m. Drug Discovery in a Pandemic: An Industry Perspective
    Dr. Eddie Reilly, GSK
  • 10:30 a.m. Experiences From Clinical Trials in Swine Flu
    Prof. Andrew Pollard, Oxford Vaccine Group
  • 11:00 a.m. Facilitating Access to Medical Countermeasures (MCMs)
    Dr. Luciana Borio, MD, Office of the Chief Scientist, FDA
  • 11:30 a.m. Exceptional Circumstances and Public Health
    Dr. Keith MacDonald, MHRA
  • 12:00 p.m. Regulatory Barriers to International Research in Pandemics
    Prof.Alistair Nichol, International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium
12:30 p.m. Lunch             
                  
Part 2: Reviewing the Rules for Experimental Medicine 
Chair: Professor Richard Ashcroft, Queen Mary’s, London
  • 1:30 p.m. Balancing Therapeutic Access to INDs Against Need for Science
    Dr. Sarah J.L. Edwards, UCL
  • 2:15 p.m. Ethics and Study Design
    Prof.Charles Weijer, UWO Canada
  • 3:00 p.m. Right to Health and Access to Treatments in a Pandemic
    Dr. George Letsas, UCL Laws
  • 3:45 p.m. Public Views of Investigational Treatments in a Pandemic
    Prof. Sandra Quinn, Associate Director, Maryland Center for Health Equity
  • 5:00 p.m. Mitigating Social Tension in Pandemic Research
    Prof. Alex John London, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
  • 5:45 p.m. Global Research Coordination
    Prof. Mike Parker, ETHOX
6:30 p.m. Reception
Day Two: June 7, 2014

Part 3: WHO Technical Consultation “Research Ethics in International Epidemic Response”
Chair: Professor Mike Parker, ETHOX

  • 9:00 a.m.  Are Principles of GCP and Helsinki Relevant?
    Prof. Jonathan Montgomery, Health Research Authority, Nuffield Council
  • 9:45 a.m. Perspective of Health Research Authority
    Dr. Hugh Davies, Ethics Working Group
  • 10:30 a.m.  Meeting Report on the 2009 WHO Technical Consultation “Research Ethics in International Epidemic Response”
    Dr. Abha Saxena, WHO
  • 11:30 a.m.  Coffee
  • 12:00 p.m. Commentary on the WHO Report
    Prof. Alex John London, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

1:00 p.m. Lunch

Chair: Dr Sarah Edwards, UCL

  • 2:00 p.m. Panel Discussion
  • 3:30 p.m.  Towards a Consensus Statement
  • 4:00 p.m.  Summary and Next Steps
  • 4:30 p.m. Final Remarks and Close