Clinical trials and research is designed to expose a limited sample of subjects to potential new treatments. Human tests of a medical intervention typically pose risk to subjects despite the amount of laboratory and pre-clinical trails conducted prior to the clinical testing. The idea of improving the greater health of a whole by subjecting a few subjects to a certain risk is a huge ethical dilemma. From an ethical standpoint, when is it acceptable and permissible to expose human subjects to risk of harm for the benefit of future patients? Also, what other ethical issues are out there pertaining to clinical trails?

From what I have read and noticed, no one is arguing that sponsors and investigators shouldn’t conduct research if they can get the appropriate informed consent of the subjects they enroll and test. However, currently, regulations place restrictions on types of research that can be conducted and committees may approve. For research that doesn’t get approved, what if test subjects are interested in enrolling in this type of research. This research that doesn’t get approved, that test subjects would be open to enrolling in, would that be a basic attack on their freedom of choice? Thoughts?