‘The Human Trial’ spotlights the real people behind the data
“The Human Trial” ties together the lives of two young adult study participants: a mother named Maren Badger, who qualified for the study because she regularly experienced severe low blood sugar accompanied by seizures, and Greg Romero, a father who has sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy and other complications, as well as financial hardship.
The film chronicles their experiences over 7 years after receiving the transplant. It’s not easy for either of them to undergo all the implantation and explantation procedures as well as cope with the uncertainty as to whether the transplanted cells are working.
At the same time, the researchers’ emotional and sometimes frustrating journey is shown, as are scenes following company executives to Saudi Arabia and Japan in their pursuit of trial funding.
Ms. Hepner herself is featured pursuing the film’s storyline by frequently questioning company executives, in person and virtually, as well as telling her own story.
A visit to the Banting House Historic Site in London, Ontario, with her young son gives Ms. Hepner the opportunity to explain that after Canadian surgeon Frederick Banting discovered insulin, he sold the patent to the University of Toronto for one dollar.
“One hundred years ago, insulin wasn’t a business. It was a medical breakthrough that saved millions of lives. When Banting accepted his Nobel [Prize], he famously said: ‘Insulin doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to the world.’ ... Now, there’s a $245 billion industry designed to manage our disease,” Ms. Hepner says in the film.
But, she adds: “There’s a catch-22: Biotech needs big pharma’s profits to fund clinical trials. Without that support the researchers wouldn’t have gotten this far. Like most relationships, it’s complicated.”
Nonetheless, the film ultimately uplifts. As one company executive says: “Data show the product is producing insulin in patients for the first time. ... This is a big deal. We know now that the cells work.
“We didn’t know that 5 years ago. All the pieces are there, it’s just a matter of completing the puzzle.”
The ViaCyte work presented by Dr. Jaiman received funding from the European Commission Horizon 2020, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the JDRF. Jaiman is an employee of ViaCyte. The Sernova work was funded by Sernova and JDRF. Dr. Markmann has reported serving on advisory boards for iTolerance, eGenesis, and Qihan Biotech, and being a consultant for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Hepner and Mr. Mossman run LA-based Vox Pop Films, a production company specializing in nonfiction content and commercials. “The Human Trial” was made in collaboration with the nonprofit Beyond Type 1.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.