Ely medical research company embarks on innovative research

A NEW medical research company that has opened in Ely is recruiting volunteers to help find a cure for flu and the common cold.

Retroscreen Virology set up in Angel House, near Station Road, in September last year and began advertising for residents to sign up to ‘flu camps’ at the start of the month.

At flu camps, volunteers are paid to be infected with a flu virus and then monitored closely over a period of days or weeks as the infection develops in their system.

Worried residents contacted the Ely Standard this week concerned that the company did not have the correct planning permission to be carrying out such potentially harmful research but staff moved to allay fears this week as they revealed the Ely site is merely being used to recruit volunteers.

Dr Robert Lambkin-Williams, chief scientific officer for the company, said: “We have research centres in Cambridge and London but we are using our base in Ely to recruit people for our flu camps.

“Through the camps we are hoping to understand more about how colds and flu develop and one day find a way of tackling them and our research could help in cases of croup in children, which is potentially fatal.

“All the tests we do are rigorous and as safe as we can make them, we are monitored by all of the regulatory bodies.”

To find out more about flu camps, visit www.flucamp.com