The Cure - Softcover

'Godden has done a sterling job holding together a complex but very original and enjoyabvle plot, and his character studies are brilliant. Add to that some truly realistic dialogue, and you have a great thriller that will see you through a few days. Excellent.' -- Books Monthly

Kill or Cure? An encounter with Eric, a young man severely disabled by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), prompts Dr Ray Shepherd to join the famous neurologist, Professor Gerard Carter, to study new treatments. Ray's relationship with Carter is uneasy from the outset. Early in their animal studies, genetically modified mice are exposed in error to prions, the cause of mad cow disease. To his amazement, Ray discovers that this reverses the nerve damage caused by MS. Faced with a potential miracle cure, the team plans a clinical trial in humans. Recruiting for the trial, Ray encounters the heart breaking stories of all kinds of people dying of this awful disease. As the trial progresses, some make a spectacular physical recovery while others continue to deteriorate. However, severe behavioural and psychotic symptoms begin to appear in some of the responders. Carter, who is negotiating a multi-million dollar deal to develop the treatment, demands that Ray falsifies their clinical records, removing reference to these problems, and threatens to destroy Ray's career if he does not comply. While Ray tries to gather evidence to expose Carter as a fraud, the terrible consequences of the psychotic side effects unfold in the most dramatic way... Dealing with the discovery of a potential cure for multiple sclerosis, this novel leads you into the world of laboratory animal research and human clinical trials. David J Godden's real life experience gives an insider's view of the consequences of medical research