What makes multinational clinical research ethical & how to minimize possible exploitation in host country?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been substantial debate about the ethics of research in developing countries. The controversies have been centered on (i) standard of care that should be used in research (ii) reasonable availability of interventions that are proven to be useful and (iii) quality of informed consent. Clinical research is different from clinical practice in ethically important ways where each has different goals, different methods and different justification for risk to individuals. The goal of clinical research is to generate useful knowledge about health and illness. Benefit to participants is not the purpose of research, although it does occur. Here people are the means to develop useful knowledge; and are thus at risk of exploitation.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v2i2.9541        

Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2011; 2(2): 20-23