Kunming City, Sanqing Headquarters.
Just when Ding and Huang were worried about human clinical trials.
Wei Kang thought of this situation earlier than them.
“It is simply unrealistic to expect the National Health Commission to make changes as soon as possible and advance brain death legislation.”
"Firstly, the impact is too great, and secondly, there are too many relationships that need to be coordinated in all aspects."
"It's just a human clinical trial. There is no need for the company to be anxious. We are not waiting for this project to save lives. There is no need to do such a thankless thing."
"After all, in the Chinese cultural circle, the common thinking of the people is that it is difficult to accept the fact that a loved one with a warm body and a beating heart has completely died, and it is even harder to accept that a loved one who is still breathing is pushed to the operating table to have a human body experiment."
"So even if the death result of brain death is clear, it will be difficult for the public to accept it. If they don't accept it, there is nothing they can do. Body donation is indeed not a popular thing."
"Both the Stick Country and the Sakura Country, which are in the same cultural circle, have long made it clear that they have legislated brain death, and the proportion of people donating their bodies is also very low, far less than that of Western countries."
"From this point of view, we have to admit that cultural differences do exist. People in Eagle Country just need to be more open-minded."
"The acceptance of human experiments in China is very poor. There are a lot of clinical studies, and dozens of cases are often needed. It is difficult not to make people think that they have to cut open the hearts and kidneys of so many brain-dead patients."
"To carry out human clinical research rashly, I am afraid that I will risk the world's disapproval. Even with Sanqing's reputation, it is estimated that it will be difficult to withstand it, and it may become a dark history. It is difficult, it is really difficult."
After thinking about it this way, there weren't many choices left for him.
"It seems that the only way to achieve the goal is to conduct clinical trials overseas and at the same time remove Sanqing from the moral dilemma. Even if we don't go to Eagle Country, we can go to other places, such as Tianzhu, Philippines and other places."
"I read the report submitted by Ding Mian. The highest degree of human-pig organ chimerism is only 92%, and it also contains some pig cells. Although it is genetically modified, the possibility of immune rejection is very low, but in terms of biological safety , we still need to take a long-term approach.”
"If overseas clinical trials prove that it is safe and effective, these clinical data will also be recognized in China, and then you can directly apply for Phase I clinical trials in China."
"It seems that overseas clinical practice is not a kind of protection for domestic patients."
Wei Kang thought for a while and quickly made a decision.
"Otherwise, we can simply conduct overseas clinical trials in countries that recognize brain death, and then return to China with the data to apply for Phase I clinical trials."
"It doesn't matter if the domestic progress is a little behind, safety comes first and stability comes first."
"Then the question is, which country should I choose?"
"Eagle Country? Europa? Or Tianzhu?"
"Try the FDA first? I remember that Eagle Country also has some research on xenogeneic organ transplantation. It has a lot of experience in this area and there are many outstanding doctors."
At this moment, Wei Kang's cell phone suddenly rang.
When he looked at the caller ID, he immediately smiled.
He said Cao Cao and Cao Cao were here. As soon as he thought about FDA, an acquaintance came to the door.
"Dear Wei, long time no see. Congratulations to Sanqing for his breakthrough achievements in the field of organ transplantation."
As soon as the call was connected, Andre's familiar voice sounded instantly, feeling quite impatient.
The corners of Wei Kang's mouth raised, but he remained calm on the surface: "Thank you for your compliment. This is mainly the result of the efforts of the company's employees. I, the boss, actually did not participate much, so I am ashamed."
Andre made a haha, exchanged a few greetings as usual, and then quickly got to the point.
"Dear Wei, may I ask how far this project has progressed? Has human clinical trials started?"
"As far as I know, before xenogeneic organ transplantation can enter human clinical practice, there is still a threshold that must be crossed, and that is clinical research on brain-dead patients."
Weikang has no intention of hiding it. Whether it has been approved for human clinical trials can be found directly from the official website, not to mention internal information. It is very easy for colleagues to know.
He readily admitted: "This human clinical trial has not started yet, and the preclinical research is currently encountering some problems."
"If you have spent several years in China, you should know that brain death is not recognized here, so it is very difficult to conduct clinical research on brain-dead patients. It is difficult for parents alone to persuade, let alone supervision."
"But I believe it will be solved soon. It's just a little slower. I don't care about this little time."
Andre couldn't help but feel happy when he heard Wei Kang's confession. He had learned about China's special situation, so he volunteered to be the intermediary, intending to persuade Wei Kang to conduct clinical research overseas.
In this way, the clinical research of Sanqing can proceed smoothly, and patients in Yingguo can benefit from it as soon as possible.
You must know that some of the financial backers behind him are already very old, and they are eager to see this achievement implemented in reality, and the sooner the better.
After all, if a technology wants to reach a mature and usable stage, it requires a lot of practice in the early stage. If the application time can be compressed from ten years to two or three years, it will undoubtedly gain huge benefits.
As for Wei Kang's statement that he didn't care about time, he was directly regarded as being stiff.
In his mind, for such a major project, Sanqing must have invested a huge amount of research and development expenses. Who doesn't want to get returns as soon as possible.
Because some regulations have blocked the progress of research and development, I must be very anxious, but for the sake of face, I can only say that I don’t care.
Such a reaction is very reasonable, and that is why he is here.
After many years of dealing with each other, he believed that he still understood Wei Kang's character and thoughts very well. When encountering difficulties, the other party would not directly seek help from outsiders. At this time, friends like him were needed to take the initiative.
"The character of Chinese people is like this. No matter how straightforward they are, they are more or less concerned about face."
Thinking of this, Andre smiled slightly, showing an expression of victory.
"Wei, our friendship has always been very deep over the years. As a friend, when I see you encounter difficulties, I naturally can't just sit back and watch."
"In fact, in our Eagle Country, brain death is a very normal thing. A medical team from the Mayo Clinic implanted a pig heart in a brain-dead patient. Although the patient did not survive, follow-up research did not We have a lot of experience in this area.”
"Believe me, if you are willing to come to Eagle Country for overseas clinical practice, there will definitely be a lot of hospitals rushing to cooperate with you, and the FDA will give you the green light all the way."
"Our regulations in this regard are also very mature and reliable. Everything is based on the interests of pharmaceutical companies. Oh, it should be said that everything is based on the development of medical research."
"So, you really don't want to consider overseas clinical practice?"
"That's for sure. Your Great Eagle Empire's experience in conducting human experiments is absolutely unparalleled in the world. It can't even be described as rich. If you dare to claim to be second, no one will dare to claim to be first." Wei Kang thought in his heart He complained silently.
Although he had already made up his mind, facing Andre's warm invitation, he still pretended to think for a moment and looked like he was in a dilemma.
"Andre, what you said makes sense. I was almost moved. But my subordinates have found a new way, which is to directly connect the human kidneys in pigs to the blood vessels of brain-dead patients. First, do extracorporeal dialysis. Let's see. How long can it last?”
"If this method can be proven to be safe and effective, it may be able to push clinical research a step further in China."
"So I plan to see the results first before making a decision. As my friend, you should be able to understand."
Andre's heart was burning, but he still said calmly: "As a friend, of course I will understand and fully support your decision."
"However, let me kindly remind you that it is good to be prepared for anything. You can apply for domestic clinical trials while preparing for overseas clinical trials in advance. After all, you cannot give up on overseas markets. What do you think?"
When he said this, Wei Kang followed suit and said with a smile: "This is a natural and reasonable suggestion. I will definitely listen to it."
"I will ask the Yingguo branch of Sanqing to submit a clinical application to the FDA soon."
Andre nodded with great joy: "That's great, then I'll be waiting for your good news. If you have any questions, I'll be at your service at any time."
****
At the same time, outside the ICU ward of Kunming First People's Hospital.
An old woman with gray hair was crying her heart out, her tears falling uncontrollably. Next to her, a man in his early 30s was wiping away his tears while patiently persuading her.
"Mom, Dad is in this situation, you should just accept it and accept it."
"The doctors said he's brain dead, but it's really hopeless. Don't cry so sadly that you'll destroy your body."
After saying that, he winked at his wife. Seeing that the other party supported the old mother with understanding, he walked towards Director Cui of the intensive care unit on the side.
"Director Cui, look at my dad's condition, how long can he stay in the ICU?"
Director Cui stood aside for a while. He finally found a fresh brain-dead patient. In order to complete the task assigned by Director Fang, he had to bite the bullet.
"Your dad's diagnosis has come out. He is in a deep coma without any reaction. His brain stem is dead, his brain electricity has disappeared, and his cerebral blood flow has stopped. He is diagnosed as brain dead. There is no point in continuing treatment, and there is no way to save him."
Director Cui considered it and said: "Of course, if the family wants the patient to continue to stay in the ICU and maintain his physical condition, it is not impossible, but the cost will be relatively high."
"I personally suggest that family members should act according to their ability, because the survival period of most brain-dead patients is about a week, and it is difficult to survive for more than two weeks. Although the ventilator can keep the patient breathing and heartbeating, over time, the blood pressure will not be maintained. His body functions completely failed and he died.”
The man frowned and said with a somewhat irritated expression: "Your doctor has said these words several times, and my ears are ringing. It's not like I don't know what brain death is like."
"The problem is that I accept it, but my mother doesn't accept it. As soon as I said I wanted to extubate, she started to fight with me."
"Damn it, I can't be accused of being unfilial and make my family uneasy and make my mother hate me for the rest of my life."
Director Cui nodded: "The emotions of the family members must also be taken into consideration."
After being in the ICU for a long time, he had seen a lot of human emotions and knew that haste makes waste. Therefore, he did not immediately persuade the other party to do human experiments, but waited slowly.
The other party will definitely ask the most critical question, he is sure.
Sure enough, the man hesitated and asked, "Well, if my dad stays in the ICU until he dies, how much will it cost?"
Director Cui pondered and said: "If you stay in the ICU and receive necessary cardiopulmonary support, blood pressure support, and nutritional support, you can probably last for about a week, and it is extremely unlikely that you can last until two weeks."
"The daily cost of medicines and equipment is about nearly 30,000 yuan, and a week is about 200,000 yuan. If you insist on it for two weeks, it will be close to 50,000 yuan."
"What? So expensive?" The man was stunned for a moment, showing an expression of disbelief.
Director Cui patiently explained: "It's like this. Once a person is brain dead, he will no longer be able to breathe on his own, and various endocrine functions will also stop. Some important hormones that maintain the body's metabolism and organ functions, such as thyroxine, can no longer be secreted. .”
"Therefore, EMCO artificial lungs are required to maintain breathing, and various drugs are injected to maintain the functions of important organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Finally, nutritional supplements are injected. The cost of these equipment and drugs is quite expensive."
"And the longer you persist, the less sensitive you are to the drug. In the later stage, you need to increase the dosage of the drug, which may be doubled or tripled, so the price will be more expensive."
"Actually, I think the hope of surviving two weeks is relatively slim, because most brain-dead patients don't survive more than one week."
"For the family members, it basically means paying for a week of ICU, so that the patient can go on a natural journey and live with peace of mind."
"However, even if you stay in the ICU for a week, 200,000 is too expensive. Our family simply cannot afford it."
The man murmured to himself. After hearing this, not only did he not feel any comfort, but he became even more depressed.
The cost of 200,000 yuan, plus the money spent on previous rescue and treatment, was at least 300,000 yuan, which was enough to bankrupt him and even put him in debt.
At this moment, he was so desperate that he even had the idea of giving up completely.
He couldn't destroy the entire family just to let his old father live for one more week.
The medical expenses of 100,000 yuan have already emptied the family's financial resources. I must not bear another 200,000 yuan in medical debt.
However, as soon as this idea came into the man's mind, he looked back at his old mother who was crying like a woman.
The words "Give up" were instantly stuck in my throat and I could never say them out.
At this time, Director Cui kindly reminded: "If your father has medical insurance, he can reimburse most of the expenses."
The man shook his head blankly: "We are just ordinary workers. My dad is a farmer and there is no medical insurance."
Director Cui looked pitiful and sighed: "That is indeed difficult."
"Oh, I know. Thank you, director, for telling me so much. I'll think about it again."
The man was extremely troubled and thanked Director Cui. He planned to make it clear to his mother soon that he really couldn't afford the money and could only feel ashamed of his old father's many years of raising him.
But Director Cui suddenly said something: "If your family is in difficulty, should you consider body donation?"
"Your dad is only in his 50s, still relatively young..."
Before he finished speaking, the man's expression changed drastically.
"Director Cui, stop talking. I can't do this even if I'm killed."
The man's face turned red, and the veins on his forehead bulged one by one. He shouted, immediately interrupting Director Cui's words.
But Director Cui did not stop, but slowed down and whispered softly.
"I understand your thoughts very well, but you need to listen to me first."
"I'm not talking about donating bodies to medical schools for research, or organ donation, but a clinical study by Sanqing."
"Your dad will continue to stay in the ICU and won't go anywhere. We won't touch his body. We will just connect an external artificial organ to the blood vessels in his abdomen and thighs and rely on his body's blood supply for two or three days. .”
“Then record the physical condition of the entire process, and that’s it.”
"It won't cause any harm to your dad's body."
"But all your dad's medical expenses, as well as all subsequent expenses for staying in the ICU to maintain life, will be reimbursed in the name of clinical research."
"Why don't you think about it?"
The man was stunned. As soon as he heard Sanqing's name, his confrontational mood became less intense.
Later, after listening to everything Director Cui said, my tense mood relaxed unexpectedly.
This clinical research plan sounds pretty good. There is no need to do anything to the old father's body, and no organs will be removed. It will just connect the blood vessels. It is not a big deal at all.
The most important thing is that all medical expenses can be reimbursed and my father can stay in the ICU and die naturally.
This not only alleviated his financial crisis, but also completely resolved the dispute between him and his mother, and the original moral dilemma was perfectly resolved.
He was instantly moved, but he was still a little hesitant. He felt that this thing was too pie-in-the-sky, so good that it made people wonder if it was a scam.
The other party won't turn against the person after the operation and just refuse to pay, right?
However, Director Cui's next words completely dispelled all doubts in his mind.
"Don't worry, Sanqing will sign a formal agreement with you. As long as you sign, they will pay the medical expenses directly without you having to pay a penny from beginning to end."
The man nodded immediately: "Okay, I promise you, where can I sign?"
Director Cui showed a faint smile that he had not seen for a long time and waved his right hand forward.
"Follow me and go to the office to sign." (End of Chapter)
