Thread: Terminal patients as drug testers

BBC NEWS | Health | Terminal patients as drug testers

Experts are debating whether terminally ill patients should have the right to try out new drugs that have not completed safety checks.

The US is currently considering allowing such a move.
Professor Emil Freireich of the University of Texas says patients should be allowed to judge the risks.
But US medical oncologist Dean Gesme told the British Medical Journal that to allow this could harm both individuals and science.
Human guinea pigs
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration has proposed expanding access to investigational drugs for patients with terminal illnesses after initial safety - phase I - trials but before final approval. However, Dr Gesme, who works for the Minnesota Oncology Haematology Professional Association, points out that more than 90% of drugs entering phase I trials are found unacceptable.

I think they should be allowed. Any thoughts?

Sure they ought to be allowed. I don't care if 90% are found unacceptable after phase 1, if you are in the final stage of terminal cancer 10% is a pretty appealing longshot.

Originally Posted by TenGig

BBC NEWS | Health | Terminal patients as drug testers



I think they should be allowed. Any thoughts?

Absolutely, they sould be allowed.

Of course they should have the right if they choose to.

Who thinks they shouldn't be allowed?

In order to conduct a scientifically accurate test, don't they have to have a control group who get placebos while tho others get the real thing? If I were terminally ill, I'd want to be sure I got thre real thing--and I'd feel really pissed (and probably mostly dead) if I found out that the folks who got the real thing were all getting well. On the other hand, what if THEY all croaked?

Originally Posted by Buck Laser

In order to conduct a scientifically accurate test, don't they have to have a control group who get placebos while tho others get the real thing? If I were terminally ill, I'd want to be sure I got thre real thing--and I'd feel really pissed (and probably mostly dead) if I found out that the folks who got the real thing were all getting well. On the other hand, what if THEY all croaked?

The placebos are not always needed in every study but I am certain where it was needed it would be applied.

I agree it should be allowed.

It should be allowed as long as the family or patient approves.

The ethical issue is that someone dying and who is desperate to live may be vunerable and therefore capable of being exploited by unethical drug manufacturers as expendable guinea pigs.

There is a fine line between a vulnerable person afraid to die and desperate to do anything to stay alive, and someone not afraid of death and who has a clear mind and wants to try help others by donating themselves for case studies.

Trying to distinguish between the two legally and ethically is not an easy task.

Trying to distinguish between the two legally and ethically is not an easy task.


You are correct.