Why clinical trials can't always be in a patient's best interest

It has been 60 years since one of the pillars of medical ethics – the Declaration of Helsinki – was published.

For the most part, it is seen as a leading light for researchers doing clinical trials with human participants.

But some think one of the principles is misleading – the one that states "the physician must offer care in the patient's best interest".

Guest/s

• Professor Jerry Menikoff, Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the National University of Singapore

References

• WMA Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants