Leukaemia Busters Have Positive Meetings In Brussels: Solution In Sight

5.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 28th Nov 2003

Chris Huhne MEP with the Leukaemia Busters delegation in Brussels

The campaign by local charity Leukaemia Busters to change EU rules that could stop its work made more progress today when Dr David Flavell and Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne led a delegation in top meetings with Commission officials.

Dr David Flavell, Dr Bee Flavell and Mr Huhne met top officials including the head of Commissioner Erkki Liikanen's cabinet, Mr Heikki Salmi, and Dr Birka Lehman, an expert adviser (Picture available and sent separately).

Dr David Flavell said: 'I was very pleased with the way the Commission listened to our concerns, and were very sympathetic. My hopes that we will reach a solution in the near future have improved dramatically'.

Mr Huhne said: 'My impression is that there is a real willingness in the Commission to ensure that charities like Leukaemia Busters are not adversely affected by the new directive on drug safety. My betting is that the necessary changes will now happen. A solution is in sight'.

The problem for Leukaemia Busters arises because the directive requires very expensive clinical trials aimed at big drug companies which are not necessary or appropriate for research into conditions like child leukaemia that are life-threatening and affect relatively few people.

'The problem is that the big drug companies are simply not interested in these conditions because not enough people suffer from them, and they cannot make a profit. But to apply onerous regulation to small-scale charity work simply risks driving it out of business' said Mr Huhne.

Dr Flavell said that further meetings have been arranged in London with ministers, as there is also an issue of how the British government puts the provisions of the EU directive into UK law. 'It is clear from our meetings in Brussels that if the British government shows flexibility the Commission is unlikely to stand in its way' said Mr Huhne.

'We do not want any of the usual Whitehall gold-plating, where they add other provisions to what Brussels intends. With good will, and I think we definitely felt that there was good will, we will make progress' said Mr Huhne.

The EU rules in the clinical trials directive are meant to be introduced into British law by May 2004.

Ends

Notes to editors:

· Leukaemia Busters is the UK's children's leukaemia research charity, based in Southampton. Its mission is to conduct research into and develop new, improved and safer treatments for leukaemia and related conditions.

· Leukaemia Busters is currently running a campaign concerning the impact of EU Directive 2001/20/EC, which threatens the future of clinical trials in the UK. To sign the petition, or help the campaign log onto www.leukaemiabusters.org.uk/SOCTCampaign.htm or call 023 8063 6607.

· For details about Leukaemia Busters, contact Nigel Impey:

T: 023 8063 6607 E: nigeli@leukaemiabusters.org.uk

P: c/o Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD