title: The use of placebos in phase III clinical trials in Brazil.
abstract: In 2008, Brazil's Federal Council of Medicine [Conselho Federal de Medicina] (CFM)--regulatory and supervisory agency on the ethical practice of medicine--banned the participation of Brazilian doctors in studies using placebos for diseases with efficient and effective treatment. This position differs with the Helsinki Declaration, which allows the use of placebos in methodologically justified conditions. To ascertain whether the CMF's ethical regulation modified the use of placebos in phase III clinical trials in Brazil, characteristics of the records in ClinicalTrials.gov were researched in the periods from 2003 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2013. The conclusions reached were: a) the regulations issued by the CFM in 2008 were ineffective and the position adopted by the Helsinki Declaration prevails; b) there was significant sponsorship by the multinational pharmaceutical industry of trials with placebos; c) the research was predominantly on new drugs for chronic diseases, with little study done of the neglected diseases which are of great importance to Brazil.
authors: Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
authors: Gustavo Butzge
authors: GB
authors: Rubenich
authors: Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
authors: Stephanie Tomasi
authors: ST
authors: Heck
authors: Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Hellmann
authors: Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
authors: Bruno Rodolfo
authors: BR
authors: Schlemper Junior
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000941:ethics; D006381:Helsinki Declaration; D006801:Humans; D010919:Placebos; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000941:ethics
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos
keywords: Ethics; Research; Medical; Clinical Trial; Placebos; Helsinki Declaration