Dr. Eric Meslin, Director of the Indiana University Center for Bioethics, provided the keynote address during the Firm's life science distinguished speaker's series luncheon.  As an Associate Dean for Biothics at the IU School of Medicine, Dr. Meslin was able to offer a particularly worldly view to issues affecting ethics and health care.

Dr. Meslin's remarks were appropriately titled, "What in the World Does Ethics Have to do With Health Research?"  He made reference to the title several times during his remarks as he expounded on the theme and took an historical look at how ethics and health care have evolved.

Soon into his remarks, a photo from the Nuremberg trial appeared on the screen, an obvious response to the rhetorical question of, "why should we care?"  The photo featured 23 Nazi scientists who were accused, and later convicted, of some of the most heinous crimes known to man, in fact we call them crimes against humanity.  The trial resulted in the a document called the Nuremberg Code which many refer to as the first modern medical ethics, or research ethics document, which mandates that voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.

Dr. Meslin continued his remarks with more recent cases of unethical research, sometimes involving violations of human rights. Of particular interest was the Abigail Alliance case.  The issue involved a young woman who wanted to join a clinical trial but was denied the opportunity and died later in part as a result.  The case further complicated the issues involved in ethics and health care.

With more and more money being spent on research, the need for standardized documents and protocols increases.  According to one account, between 1998-2003, the global expenditures on health care research quadrupled to about $125 billion.  By 2000, 70 percent of all clinical trials were funded by the private sector. 

So, to quote Dr. Meslin, what in the world does ethics have to do with health research?  A lot.  As the good doctor states, all studies involving human subjects must, not may, must receive prior science and ethics review.  Collaborative research, especially research between economically and developed or developing countries, requires some common set of ethics guidelines or procedures.  Finally, we must learn from our past and make a pledge to never repeat any of the egregious crimes against humanity.