Chapter 339 - 231: Making a Move: Challenging Authority and Shooting Down Pfizer’s Plan

Chapter 339: Chapter 231: Making a Move: Challenging Authority and Shooting Down Pfizer’s Plan

Wu Ting called Zhang Heng directly, and Zhang Heng rushed to the office a short while later.

Wu Ting briefly explained President Liang’s condition to Zhang Heng before getting to the crucial question:

"Has President Liang been receiving transarterial chemoembolization combined with antiviral therapy from you recently, Director Zhang?"

Zhang Heng had planned to continue his research for a while longer before announcing it, but he didn’t expect Wu Ting to find out about it ahead of schedule.

He explained with a hint of pride, "That’s right. I’d been researching the combination of Entecavir with transarterial chemoembolization, but I wasn’t making any progress. It just so happened that Pfizer Pharmaceutical recently released a new drug, Sorafenib. Its efficacy is far superior to Entecavir, and since it was brand new to the market, I used it to replace Entecavir."

"Over this period, with the patients’ informed consent, I’ve already conducted over thirty cases. The total sample size is a bit small, I admit. But after one or two rounds of this combination therapy, the patients’ conditions are all significantly better than with conventional treatment plans."

"President Liang is one of my patients. He told me recently that he’s been feeling much better than before. Examinations confirmed that his liver function has indeed improved."

"It’s just a shame that the experimental period is still too short and the sample size is too small."

After finishing his explanation, Zhang Heng asked, a little puzzled, "Director Wu, did you call me over today to ask about the patient’s liver recovery?"

Zhang Heng had no idea that the acute myocardial infarction was related to Sorafenib.

Wu Ting asked for more details about President Liang’s recent condition.

Zhang Heng recounted everything in detail.

"So, President Liang did experience some adverse skin reactions and a temporary increase in blood pressure?"

"And, President Liang also recently had an episode of a blood line under a fingernail on his right hand?"

Zhang Heng, unsure why Wu Ting was asking about these things, recalled:

"Yes, there was a subungual blood line, but it was very minor. At the time, I thought it was just an accidental injury President Liang sustained, so I didn’t pay it much mind."

"Also, the high blood pressure and adverse skin reactions disappeared quickly. There were no other major side effects. After observing him for a short period and seeing no issues, I didn’t look into it further."

From Zhang Heng’s perspective, these minor side effects were indeed manageable with simple, targeted treatment. Compared to Sorafenib’s remarkable efficacy, they were perfectly acceptable.

However, Wu Ting possessed the ’Pharmaceutical Knowledge (Purple)’ for Sorafenib. He knew that releasing the drug to market before resolving its toxic side effects would have horrifying consequences.

A terrible suspicion suddenly formed in Wu Ting’s mind.

Toxic side effects can manifest as either acute toxic reactions or cumulative toxic reactions, and they are also closely related to an individual patient’s constitution.

The symptoms of a short-term acute toxic reaction might be mild and disappear quickly, but long-term use of Sorafenib could lead to an accumulation of toxins, possibly causing irreversible damage. For people with certain constitutions, the damage could even be fatal.

’But Sorafenib already received certification through the FDA’s fast-track program... Don’t tell me!’

From his interactions with people like Xie Bin and Jin Yihong, Wu Ting understood that the business world was ruthless. Often, commercial competition was unscrupulous.

Of course, Wu Ting desperately hoped his suspicion was wrong.

"Director Zhang, can you show me the follow-up tracking data for your recent patients who have been taking Sorafenib as part of the combination therapy?"

Zhang Heng might have overlooked many of the subtle side effects, but Wu Ting, who had the "entry" for Sorafenib, knew exactly what potential toxic side effects existed in its semi-finished state.

Especially in areas like blood pressure, cardiovascular events, thrombotic diseases, and the hematopoietic system, there was a probability of it causing a patient’s death.

Although the percentage was small, when the patient base became enormous, the number of victims involved would be on a whole other scale.

Wary, Wu Ting compiled all the follow-up data from Zhang Heng’s patients.

Even though the base number of Zhang Heng’s patients was small, Wu Ting actually managed to find several more who were in the acute toxic reaction phase.

Two of them, in particular, were exhibiting near-fatal toxic side effects associated with the semi-finished version of Sorafenib.

Wu Ting thought for a moment. ’This is a very serious matter.’

’If the toxic side effects of Sorafenib really did cause President Liang’s acute myocardial infarction, I’ll have to work backward based on preclinical experiments for Sorafenib’s toxicity.’

’Anyone else would probably be unable to perform such an experimental verification.’

’But, as it happens, I possess all of Xu Linjun’s expertise.’

"Director Qiao, Director Zhang, Dr. Huang, I think I may have found the cause of the patient’s illness."

"Dr. Huang, I need you to assist me in running some tests on the patient. Check their blood levels of VEGF, catecholamines, renin, and aldosterone... their central augmentation index (CAIx) and aortic pulse wave velocity (APWV)... and also test their endothelial cell function and nitric oxide metabolism..."

Listening to the types of tests Wu Ting listed, the two directors were rather confused.

This matter was of great importance, so Wu Ting didn’t want too many people involved. He first gave instructions to Director Qiao and Dr. Huang.

He had Zhang Heng stay behind.

Once only the two of them were left in the conference room, Wu Ting began to explain seriously to Zhang Heng:

"I suspect that a certain substance has inhibited the patient’s angiogenesis. With VEGFR blocked, the blood vessels’ physiological repair function is impaired, leading to cardiovascular disease and the formation of blood clots..."