“Over 14 days, 10 patients will receive RECCE 327 daily while a...

“Over 14 days, 10 patients will receive RECCE 327 daily while a further 20 receive treatment three times per week.”

This statement from the burns trial announcement of 16 October 2020 is ambiguous and I believe it has given a false impression that the trial will last only 14 days. I think that timeline will apply only to each individual patient.

What the trial requires is 30 patients with chronic burns that have become infected and that have given consent to participate in the trial. If some thought is given to the timing aspects of this then I think it will be realised that the length of the trial will be determined by its rate of recruitment rather than the length of each treatment to be applied.

It seems highly unlikely that trial commencement depends on 30 burns patients developing wound infections simultaneously and consenting to participate. Patients in that condition will not be able to wait around untreated until the 30 requirement is reached.

One major advantage of the short 14-day period required for a result is that if treatment proves to be effective with early participants the recruitment process for the remainder should become much easier.