The ethical case for placebo control in HIV-cure-related studies with ART interruption

Abstract

Many studies that seek to cure HIV must ask participants to interrupt their antiretroviral treatment. In such circumstances, is it permissible to include a placebo group in the study? We explain why doing so is a scientific and an ethical necessity, and more benign than imagined.

Keywords

• HIV Cure-related studies
• Human subjects research
• Research ethics
• Analytic treatment interruption
• Placebos