In Harold Varmus and David Satcher’s article, Ethical Complexities of Conducting Research in Developing Countries, the main argument presented is studies done in the Third World not only follow bioethical principles, but also benefit the research participants. Varmus and Satcher justify the ethical decision of conducting research in the Third World by noting that they are actually serving those populations because previously, there was no one to help them. Furthermore, Varmus and Satcher explain the context of their research and what ethical difference it makes. They do this by mainly explaining the use of the placebo group. For one, “a placebo-controlled study usually provides a faster answer with fewer subjects” (Varmus and Satcher 1997).
