Company: Ailing 7-year-old will get drug as part of study

[The Straight Story]

The Chimerix pharmaceutical company says it will give ailing 7-year-old Josh Hardy a drug that could help him survive as part of a pilot trial.

The company said in a statement Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration to begin a pilot trial with the drug, brincidofovir, and provide it to Hardy as part of that study.

The study is expected to start on Wednesday, the statement said.

The company had previously denied calls from the 7-year-old's family to give him the drug, arguing that spending the time to help Josh and others like him will slow down efforts to get the drug on the market.

The child's family and supporters, in online and media campaigns, had been pushing the company to change its mind.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/health/josh-hardy-drug-study/index.html

[silverweb]

1. And if it works, the company wins, too.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Their previous excuse was lame and stupid, simply a cover for corporate secrecy and greed. Now they get good PR for doing the right thing and if it helps the boy, a successful case report. Hopefully, other companies will take notice and act accordingly.