The Professional Guinea Pig: Big Pharma and the Risky World of Human Subjects

摘要: The Professional Guinea Pig documents the emergence of professional research subject in Phase I clinical trials testing safety drugs development. Until mid-1970s were conducted on prisoners. After that practice was outlawed, pharmaceutical industry needed a replacement population and began to aggressively recruit healthy, paid subjects, some whom came depend income, earning their living by continuously taking part these trials. Drawing ethnographic among self-identified “professional guinea pigs” Philadelphia, Roberto Abadie examines experiences views conduct risks they assume participating. Some subjects he met had taken more than eighty While pigs tended believe most pose only moderate health risk, contends hazards presented continuous participation, such as exposure potentially dangerous drug interactions, are discounted or ignored need money. also disregarded industry, which has become dependent routine participation experienced subjects. Arguing financial incentives compromise ethical imperative for informed consent be freely given clinical-trials confirms reform policies regulating