E-drug: UNAIDS vaccine trial ethics document
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The UNAIDS vaccine trial ethics document has finally been released,
almost three years after the process of writing it began. There is a
prepublication copy and there may be some small edits still to be
made, but the document has now been officially released by UNAIDS.
The Guidance Document has been substantially rewritten and now
more honestly reflects the input of people from developing countries
who were present at the various workshops UNAIDS held in
developing this document. However, it is vague enough to provide
researchers with enormous leeway in the three critical areas
mentioned below.
You can obtain our reaction to the document in the form of a letter to
Dr. Peter Piot at UNAIDS at http://www.citizen.org/hrg/1509.htm
Our letter to Dr. Piot concludes:
"In sum, while this document is clearer than its predecessor and often
articulates important ethical principles, it is written so as to leave
sufficient leeway for many (if not most) researchers to proceed as
they seem always to have intended: denying known effective
treatments based on poverty, continuing to provide placebos even
after an effective HIV vaccine is identified and making less than good
faith efforts to secure post-trial availability of an effective vaccine.
This document may sound good to some, but when you know that on
the ground patients will be treated improperly, you have accomplished
little."
Please forward this email to all appropriate listserves and to people
you believe will be interested.
If you would like to be added to a listserve that will keep you up to
date on developments in international research ethics please send me
an email at plurie@citizen.org
Peter Lurie, MD, MPH
Deputy Director
Public Citizen's Health Research Group
1600 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202)588-7781
Fax: (202)588-7796
Email: plurie@citizen.org
Web address: http://www.citizen.org
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