Free Web NovelChapter 430: Chapter 430: Drug Trial Recruitment
Li Xu was admiring Song Sisi’s beautiful face.
His phone rang. It was a call from Sun Qing.
"Doctor Li, hello. I wanted to ask, is the new Aloe Vera Frost ready yet? My bottle is almost empty, and I’d like to get another one. My colleagues have tried it and all said it’s great. They’re all asking me when they can buy the new Aloe Vera Frost."
Sun Qing asked, her tone urgent.
Li Xu smiled and explained, "Don’t worry. The new Aloe Vera Frost is still in preparation. After a little while, we’ll have a much larger supply. I’ll notify you and your colleagues as soon as it’s available."
Sun Qing was a little disappointed.
She could only look forward to the new product’s release and buy it then.
「A week passed in the blink of an eye.」
With ample funding, the primary processing workshop for Aloe Vera Gel in Anchi Village and the Aloe Vera Frost production line at Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory were built and put into operation at top speed.
After the first batch of Aloe Vera from Anchi Village was harvested, it was quickly sent to the processing workshop in accordance with the "Golden 6-Hour Rule" to extract pure aloe vera gel.
This gel was then transported to Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory in Feng City and, under a strict production process, was used to manufacture the first batch of Aloe Vera Frost products.
According to the plan, the Aloe Vera Frost was to be launched on the market as a cosmetic product.
A confidential patent had been successfully filed, protecting its core formula.
However, according to the "Key Points for Technical Review of Cosmetics and Guidelines for Technical Review of Cosmetics," leave-on products must undergo human safety trials if the pH value from hygiene and safety tests is ≤3.5, or if the quality and safety control requirements set the pH value at ≤3.5.
More importantly, the Aloe Vera Frost claimed to have multiple effects, including whitening, acne removal, and skin repair.
The "Guidelines" explicitly stipulated that for cosmetics claiming any of these six effects—whitening, sun protection, hair loss prevention, acne treatment, nourishing, or repair—human safety trial data was required for verification. Otherwise, these effects could not be arbitrarily advertised.
Therefore, the Aloe Vera Frost had to undergo human testing to ensure its safety and the validity of its claimed effects.
There is no fixed, universal standard for the duration of human safety trials; it primarily depends on the trial type, product characteristics, and regulatory requirements.
Typically, the entire process takes anywhere from one to eight weeks.
Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory decided to conduct a two-week human safety trial.
To conduct the trial smoothly, Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory began recruiting test subjects from the public.
They planned to recruit 100 volunteers.
To attract more participants, Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory offered a payment of 10,000 yuan to each volunteer who completed the trial. For a two-week trial, this was undoubtedly a very generous amount.
As soon as the recruitment notice was posted, it immediately garnered widespread attention.
...
In a small, cramped rental room, the air was thick with the smell of instant noodles and a faint, lingering scent of mildew.
Zhang Zixin was curled up on an old sofa, the glow of his phone screen illuminating his weary face.
He periodically opened a WeChat group called "Guinea Pig Home," his fingertips swiping quickly across the screen, hoping to see a new recruitment notice for a drug trial.
This group was filled with people just like him—human test subjects who, in a corner of the medical world, exchanged their bodies for hard-earned compensation.
The group was usually dead silent. Occasionally, a few inquiries like "Any new gigs?" would pop up, only to be quickly swallowed by the silence.
This afternoon, however, the group suddenly exploded with activity.
The notification sounds came one after another, making Zhang Zixin’s hand go a little numb from the vibrations.
He quickly opened the group chat, and a dense wall of messages instantly flooded his screen.
"Holy shit, Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory."
"Ten thousand yuan for two weeks. I’m in."
"Hurry up and sign up! Ding’s meds have never had any issues."
Zhang Zixin’s heart skipped a beat.
Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory. He was all too familiar with that name.
In the world of drug trials, the Ding Clan was a guarantee of quality. The drugs they produced were not only effective but had also never caused serious side effects, which made them highly sought after by test subjects.
He hurriedly scrolled up through the messages and finally found the recruitment announcement.
The announcement’s title was written in bold: [Recruitment for Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory Aloe Vera Frost Human Safety Trial!]
The details followed:
Number of Recruits: 100 volunteers
Trial Period: 2 weeks
Compensation: 10,000 yuan/person (paid upon completion of the trial)
Basic Requirements: Good health, no other systemic diseases, no history of skin allergies.
Special Requirements: Preference will be given to individuals with acne or skin darkened by sun exposure.
Zhang Zixin’s breathing quickened.
He subconsciously touched his cheek. His fingertips brushed against the rough pimples, and an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
The last trial he had participated in, for an antibiotic from some unknown pharmaceutical factory, had paid well but took a significant toll on his skin.
His once-smooth face was now covered in red, swollen pimples.
Using various acne products had been useless; they only made his skin more sensitive and fragile.
He had visited the dermatology departments of several major hospitals, but the treatments the doctors proposed were either minimally effective or prohibitively expensive, forcing him to give up.
Now, seeing the special requirements from Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory, a faint glimmer of hope ignited within him.
’Maybe this isn’t just a well-paying ’job,’ but also a chance to treat the acne on my face?’
Without hesitation, he immediately clicked the registration link in the group and filled out his personal information.
After successfully registering, he immediately dialed a number in his phone saved under the name "Wang Yan."
"Hey, Wang Yan, did you see the message in the group? Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory is recruiting test subjects."
Zhang Zixin’s voice was tinged with excitement.
A clear female voice came from the other end of the line: "I saw it. I signed up a while ago. You think I’m slow? I don’t know if I’ll pass the screening, though. There are definitely going to be a ton of people this time."
Wang Yan was a friend Zhang Zixin had met in the drug trial circuit, and the two could be considered comrades in hardship. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Wang Yan was constantly on the move, exposed to the wind and sun, making her skin several shades darker than the average person’s.
She had always wanted her skin to be a little fairer, so when she saw the recruitment requirements from Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory, she saw an opportunity as well.
"Let’s go together tomorrow, then. Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory is in the eastern part of the city. We should get there early to get in line."
Zhang Zixin suggested.
"Sure. I’ll wait for you at the bus stop tomorrow at eight in the morning."
Wang Yan readily agreed.
Early the next morning, the entrance to Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory in Feng City was already swarming with a massive, dark crowd of at least a thousand people.
Squeezed in the crowd, Zhang Zixin and Wang Yan looked at the scene, their hearts sinking a little.
"Man, the competition is really fierce," Wang Yan sighed, a hint of worry on her face.
Zhang Zixin touched his uneven face and said with a wry smile, "You probably have a better chance of passing the screening. Your skin is just dark, which fits their requirements. With all this acne on my face, they might think I’m in poor health and reject me."
