US halts University's research funding after asthma death

The US federal Office of Human Research Protection has suspended allfederally-funded research on human subjects at Johns Hopkins University, after a healthy volunteer, 24-year-old Ellen Roche, died during an asthma experiment.

Following Ms Roche's death on June 2, probably from inhaling the drug hexamethomium and for which the University acknowledged full responsibility, it suspended all human research work by the doctor in charge, Alkis Togias. No further disciplinary action has been taken against him.

The University regularly receives more federal research funding than any other US medical school, and last year's total was $301 million. In the wake of Ms Roche's death, it said it would be increasing the supervision of all studies, and an external investigation would be conducted into the study in which Ms Roche died.