One person has been left brain dead and five others hospitalized after taking part in a clinical trial in France of an experimental drug made by Portuguese drug company Bial, French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said on Friday. Ninety people took part in the trial, taking some dosage of the drug aimed at tackling mood and anxiety issues, as well as movement coordination disorders linked to neurological issues, Touraine said, Reuters reported. “This is unprecedented,” Touraine told a news conference after meeting volunteers and their families. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the case. For three of the five others - who went in on Wednesday and Thursday - there are fears of irreversible handicap. All trials on the drug have now been suspended.
