Marcia Angell Research Ethics

In Marcia Angell’s article, “The Ethics of Clinical Research in the Third World,” she strongly argues the use of clinical placebo-controlled trials done in developing countries are unethical if an effective treatment already exists. Angell believes studies that compare potential new treatment with a placebo controlled group is ineffective and unnecessary. All research studies should offer the best standard of care and give participants the most beneficial outcome and treatment possible. The main priority of a study is not the goals of the research itself, but the well-being of the participants. Angell uses many sources to defend her argument, such as WHO. At times, the goal of the researcher might seem more important due to the importance

When doing any studies with human subjects, “the safest and most reasonable position is that people everywhere are likely to respond similarly to the same treatment” (300). With third world countries, Angell states there are dissimilarities between population, but that cannot be anticipated. The local of standard care should not be different, the best treatment and care should always be given regardless of where the study takes place and who the subjects are. As clinical trial studies are becoming more popular, researchers need to understand the same protection goes to the people rather they are aboard or at home. Studies done in third world countries are unethical because they cannot afford the same effective treatment. If people volunteer, it is not because they are willing to for their own interest, but they need to in order to improve their health and well-being. She wishes for researchers in the future to reconsider their ethical standards. She ends her argument stating we really have not come far from the Tuskegee study after

As long as participants were not coerced into participating in the trials and later given any treatment provided then clinical trials are allowed. Brody defends his argument by using successful statistics from past clinical trial studies. For example, he brings up the success of introducing Zidovudine to reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to child during birth. Because of the clinical trials, effective and inexpensive antiretroviral drugs can be tested to help less developed countries find better treatments. Brody then goes into details about what critics have been saying that clinical trials are unethical. Therefore, he states he wants to “focus the paper on the arguments offered in support of the claim that these trials were unethical,” (302). The first criticism states,” injustice was done to the control group…second, the participants in the trial were coerced into participating…third, the countries in question were exploited,” (302). Against the first criticism, he argues that if the clinical trials were not conducted the participants would not have received proper treatment. For the second criticism, he states that coercion, “involves a threat to put someone below their baseline unless they cooperate with the demands of the person