A muscle in Casey’s cheek twitched and again Michelle thought she heard a low grumble in his throat.
She smiled. “You’re doing what I need from you. You’re taking my case and you’re here, really here.”
“Yes, I am.” Casey dropped his forehead against hers, emphasizing his promise.
• • •
Back at his office, Casey resisted the urge to dig deeper into Michelle’s property dispute and turned his attention to the Pretid case.
He opened his files on Pretid and began scanning the pages.
He’d helped the biotechnical company secure a patent for a state-of-the-art hand-held device and computer program that promised to increase accuracy in clinical trials and better serve the research goals. He understood the importance of accuracy during trials. The integrity of data was integral to the success of the trial. Electronic diaries gave participating patients freedom to go about their lives during the trial and enable the clinical research organization, the CRO, the ability to collect accurate data faster from the device by simply downloading to the program. Uploaded to a secure system, the data could be accessed and shared across trials.
Pretid planned to tailor devices and data collection programs for specific diseases, but this particular trial involved insulin pumps. Now in stage two, the trial’s use of the electronic diary was in testing efficacy and delivery of the dosage used in the pump. Though not the first electronic diary on the market, it presently was expected to be at the top of the market when released for public use.
He’d requested information from Pretid about trial locations and where the problems were occurring. He checked his mail and his email, but found nothing new from Pretid. Frustration crept up his neck and tightened his throat.
Casey leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. He turned to look out the expansive windows that lined one exterior wall and breathed in and out to clear his mind.
His thoughts drifted to last summer, when Jackson’s company became implicated in a drug trial that was falsifying data. It was not typical to find a completely falsified trial. The FDA and the professionals involved in the pharmaceutical research field worked hard to ensure protocols were safe for patients and trial results were accurate. Lives were at stake.
He absentmindedly rubbed his chin, his gut twitching. The drug business was a highly competitive and lucrative field. Things could go wrong. What went wrong with this trial wasn’t even irregular. Patients in trials understand that there are unknowns. But people behind the scenes who invest in the development of new drugs and new devices sometimes don’t see clearly. They choose to ignore symptoms, even things such as hallucinations and heart palpations, and categorize them under
insignificant
because they want the study to go forward. That’s why sometimes drugs were recalled, even after they’d been approved.
But he didn’t like it when things went wrong. A trial subject with the disease, in this case diabetes, should not encounter life-threatening situations.
He drew his fingers through his hair and took in the information on his computer screen. Someone in his town was corrupting his client’s good work. It had to stop.
He lifted his eyes to the wall between his office and Jackson’s and saw a fuzzy image of his boss and friend staring out the window in his spacious office. Jackson was a great guy with a lot of smarts and a lot of heart. He had a lot on his mind. He’d worked for his father for a few years after getting his law license. It was during that time that he’d learned his father’s ways were toxic, for him and the world. He’d admired his father very much for his successes. But what he’d believed about his family couldn’t stand up to his first-hand scrutiny. The knowledge hit him hard and he’d made a deliberate decision to leave his father’s work and strike out on his own with
She smiled. “You’re doing what I need from you. You’re taking my case and you’re here, really here.”
“Yes, I am.” Casey dropped his forehead against hers, emphasizing his promise.
• • •
Back at his office, Casey resisted the urge to dig deeper into Michelle’s property dispute and turned his attention to the Pretid case.
He opened his files on Pretid and began scanning the pages.
He’d helped the biotechnical company secure a patent for a state-of-the-art hand-held device and computer program that promised to increase accuracy in clinical trials and better serve the research goals. He understood the importance of accuracy during trials. The integrity of data was integral to the success of the trial. Electronic diaries gave participating patients freedom to go about their lives during the trial and enable the clinical research organization, the CRO, the ability to collect accurate data faster from the device by simply downloading to the program. Uploaded to a secure system, the data could be accessed and shared across trials.
Pretid planned to tailor devices and data collection programs for specific diseases, but this particular trial involved insulin pumps. Now in stage two, the trial’s use of the electronic diary was in testing efficacy and delivery of the dosage used in the pump. Though not the first electronic diary on the market, it presently was expected to be at the top of the market when released for public use.
He’d requested information from Pretid about trial locations and where the problems were occurring. He checked his mail and his email, but found nothing new from Pretid. Frustration crept up his neck and tightened his throat.
Casey leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. He turned to look out the expansive windows that lined one exterior wall and breathed in and out to clear his mind.
His thoughts drifted to last summer, when Jackson’s company became implicated in a drug trial that was falsifying data. It was not typical to find a completely falsified trial. The FDA and the professionals involved in the pharmaceutical research field worked hard to ensure protocols were safe for patients and trial results were accurate. Lives were at stake.
He absentmindedly rubbed his chin, his gut twitching. The drug business was a highly competitive and lucrative field. Things could go wrong. What went wrong with this trial wasn’t even irregular. Patients in trials understand that there are unknowns. But people behind the scenes who invest in the development of new drugs and new devices sometimes don’t see clearly. They choose to ignore symptoms, even things such as hallucinations and heart palpations, and categorize them under
insignificant
because they want the study to go forward. That’s why sometimes drugs were recalled, even after they’d been approved.
But he didn’t like it when things went wrong. A trial subject with the disease, in this case diabetes, should not encounter life-threatening situations.
He drew his fingers through his hair and took in the information on his computer screen. Someone in his town was corrupting his client’s good work. It had to stop.
He lifted his eyes to the wall between his office and Jackson’s and saw a fuzzy image of his boss and friend staring out the window in his spacious office. Jackson was a great guy with a lot of smarts and a lot of heart. He had a lot on his mind. He’d worked for his father for a few years after getting his law license. It was during that time that he’d learned his father’s ways were toxic, for him and the world. He’d admired his father very much for his successes. But what he’d believed about his family couldn’t stand up to his first-hand scrutiny. The knowledge hit him hard and he’d made a deliberate decision to leave his father’s work and strike out on his own with
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