Helsinki Declaration and Thailand

Global trade and access to medicines: AIDS treatments in Thailand

“…8 The MOPH also funds small-scale research projects but these benefit small numbers only and do not guarantee long-term treatment for participants. 9 In reality few patients can afford antiretroviral treatment. The monthly price for a course of zidovudine, lamivudine, and indinavir is $US675, whereas the typical monthly wage of an office-worker is $US120.…”

The Tenofovir Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Trial in Thailand: Researchers Should Show More Openness in Their Engagement with the Community

“…The HIV/AIDS community in Thailand is not naive about the ethics of clinical trials: many have been directly or indirectly affected by previous AIDS drug trials in Thailand that have raised ethical concerns [7,8]. Nevertheless, TDN and TTAG have, from the beginning, made it clear that they support the development of innovative prevention tools to reduce the burden of global HIV, and would like this trial to go ahead.…”

North-South research in developing countries must respond to community's priorities

“…Edejer touches on this issue when she says “think local” when addressing inequalities in research funding, but the need for advocacy for those subjects taking part in research in developing countries is not mentioned. Advocacy groups in Thailand are developing a watchdog role in monitoring ethical practices in research,5 but there is a lack of institutional mechanisms for them to give feedback.…”