Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

[F1ash]

Professor Macfarlane has NOT violated any protocol for this trial. Professor Macfarlane has made logical inferences from observation and experience that subjects that are responding much better than normal over time and mention that they have minor dizziness at times are most probably taking the active drug in this case Anavex 2-73 than just taking a placebo. That is NOT a violation of the blinding protocol of the trial. That is a logical inference from an experienced health care provider.

The “issue”, if indeed it does prove to become an “issue”, is not that Dr. M made the logical inference. Imho, It’s that he disclosed that inference in the very same article that is also requesting interested parties to enroll in the trial at issue.



“People living with very early and early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in Sydney and Melbourne and are up to the age of 85 interested in participating in the study can email [e-mail] ”



“Participants getting side effects, such as dizziness, suggest improvements from the drug, he said.”

https://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2020/01/31/early-findings-of-alzheimers-drug-trial-show-promise/?unapproved=10398&moderation-hash=3e16534a9c96875ff72e335e7d85f72d#comment-10398

Has he not set the expectation that trial participants can have a strong indication that they are receiving the Active drug if they develop dizziness? Has he influenced the occurrence of dizziness from placebo patients who might not otherwise have reported that symptom?

Looks like a possible unforced error imho.