Sonia

This study provides very high-quality evidence for the efficacy of ipilimumab. The findings have the potential to benefit many patients. All the participants knew what was involved and consented to participate. Hence the study is ethical.

David

This study is unethical because the control group should not have been given placebo. Why wasn’t the new drug compared with an existing treatment like interferon alpha? Those in the placebo group effectively went without treatment for three years.

Beth

There are times when, even though there is an existing treatment available, it is ethically permissible to test new treatments against a placebo because this gives a more realistic idea of the effect size and is more useful in the long run.