Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4738
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: Journal Article
Ballantyne A.
HIV international clinical research: exploitation and risk.
Bioethics 2005 Oct; 19:(5-6):476-91
Abstract:
This paper aims to show that to reduce the level of exploitation present in (some) international clinical trials, research sponsors must aim to provide both an ex-ante expected gain in utility and a fair ex-post distribution of benefits for research subjects. I suggest the following principles of fair risk distribution in international research as the basis of a normative definition of fairness: (a) Persons should not be forced (by circumstance) to gamble in order to achieve or protect basic goods; (b) In cases where one party is gambling with basic goods and the other party is not, the distribution of benefits and burdens must be arranged so that they are of greatest benefit to the worst off; © In relationships where one party is gambling for basic goods and the other party is not, the party gambling for basic goods must be assured of some guaranteed benefits in addition to the chance of getting some practical benefits. These principles are applied to the case of HIV international research. I conclude that the research (as described) is mutually advantageous but still exploitative because the distribution of surplus benefits is unfair. It is unfair because research subjects are gambling with and for basic goods but they are not assured of a fair ex-post distribution of benefits. Principles (b) and © are not satisfied. Research participants are not accorded enough guaranteed benefits to outweigh the risks they undertake.
Keywords:
Anti-Retroviral Agents/supply & distribution
Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use
Clinical Trials/economics
Clinical Trials/ethics*
Developed Countries
Developing Countries*
Drug Industry/economics
HIV Infections/drug therapy*
Health Services Accessibility
Human Experimentation/ethics*
Humans
Placebos
Research Subjects*
Risk Assessment/ethics*
Social Justice*
Vulnerable Populations*
