PLoS Debate Addresses Global Health Research in Light of Failed Microbicide Trials

This month's PLoS Medicine Debate addresses global health research in light of three large vaginal microbicide clinical trials that have recently failed. According to PLoS, "James Lavery and colleagues propose a new mechanism, based on stopping trials early for 'opportunity costs.' They argue that microbicide trial sites could have been saturated with trials of scientifically less advanced products, while newer, and potentially more promising, products were being developed. They propose a mechanism to reallocate resources invested in existing trials of older products that might be better invested in more scientifically advanced products that are awaiting clinical testing. But David Buchanan argues that the early stopping of trials for such opportunity costs would face insurmountable practical barriers, and would risk causing harm to the participants in the trial that was stopped" (Lavery/Buchanan et al., PLoS Medicine, 6/9).

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