Georgina Ferry interviews Sir Martin Landray, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, 27 October 2022.
Topics discussed include (00:00:19) early interest in medicine and medical school at University of Birmingham, interest in clinical pharmacology, clinical lectureship at Birmingham and attainment of PhD, interest in clinical trials, the work of Richard Peto and Rory Collins on randomised trial at Oxford; (00:15:29) The Heart Protection Study and work in the Clinical Trial Service Unit; (00:22:22) work designing clinical trials, including relating to lowering cholesterol in people with kidney disease and work with Louise Bowman; (00:25:30) changes to rules and regulations around modern clinical trials; (00:40:09) first awareness of COVID-19, early discussions of randomised clinical trial with Peter Horby and Jeremy Farrar; (00:48:45) selection of trial and particular drugs as part of RECOVERY; (00:50:33) use of steroids in infectious disease; (00:51:50) use of hydroxychloroquine in the trial; (00:57:20) recruitment of patients within hospitals; (00:58:40) ethics and regulatory approval, involvement of Chief Medical Officers and MHRA; (01:00:03) training of doctors, nurses and pharmacists; (01:01:01) NHS involvement in the trial compared to other health systems; (01:02:51) prescription of drugs for the trial, including work with the NHS and Roche; (01:06:11) reporting of the first results, including for Regeneron and dexamethasone; (01:11:09) COVID briefings at 10 Downing Street; (01:13:04) estimation of lives saved as a consequence of the trial; (01:16:54) contribution of the patients and medical staff taking part in the trial, the work of the trials team at Oxford; (01:19:10) retention of technical staff in academia; (01:21:46) changes to working life as a result of the pandemic, including remote working, personal response to the virus; (01:26:15) pressures during the trial and adverse responses; (01:27:10) practicing transparency throughout the trial and work with the media.
