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Former Pfizer stem cell researcher takes infection, wrongful termination claims to court
From: NewsCore March 15, 2010 7:03PM Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Add to Facebook Add to Kwoff Add to Myspace Add to Newsvine What are these? A FORMER Pfizer molecular biologist is taking her claims about wrongful termination and exposure to a virus that causes her intermittent paralysis to federal court this week, an American newspaper reports.
Becky McClain, who worked in stem cell research at a Pfizer lab believes she was inadvertently exposed to a virus that a colleague was working on in 2002 or 2003, which has affected her potassium and leads to complete paralysis as often as 12 times a month, according to The Hartford Courant reported.
She says she was fired for complaining to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the lab?s safety following her exposure to the virus.
The company disputes Ms McClain?s claims saying they fired her in 2005 when she wouldn?t come into work.
While Ms McClain is seeking damages, the newspaper reports that medical experts and organisations concerned about safety in genetic engineering have an interest in using Ms McClain?s claims as evidence that regulations of laboratory practices aren?t keeping up with the fast-moving research.
"If a worker in a plant as sophisticated as Pfizer is becoming infected with a genetically engineered virus, then I think the potential is everywhere," Jeremy Gruber, president of the Council for Responsible Genetics, told The Hartford Courant.
In 2009, Ms McClain spoke at a San Francisco Workers Memorial Day event about her concerns over the lack of safety and proper oversight.
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