Another HIV-1 Trial Loses Placebo Control

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Another HIV-1 Trial Loses Placebo Control

Lancet (12/20/97-12/27/97) Vol. 350, No.9094, P. 1831
Kigotho, Anderson Wachira

Abstract: Leaders of a three-group study of 900 HIV-1-infected women in Ethiopia have dropped the placebo control and will proceed with just two AZT-treated groups. The trial will attempt to find alternatives to the standard AZT regimen for preventing perinatal HIV-1 transmission. The researchers, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained that it has been apparent for several years that shorter courses of AZT may work as well as the standard regimen. Meanwhile, Sydney Wolfe of the Public Citizen's Research Group asserted that eliminating placebo controls is key admission that scientifically useful studies could be conducted without using placebos. To support his claim, Wolfe cited the decision of Harvard University's Marc Lallemant to conduct similar tests in Thailand without placebos, noting that the ethics review panel had concluded that a placebo-controlled trial would be unethical.

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