The continuation of clinical trials in times of war: A need to develop ethics and situationally adaptive clinical research guidelines

Clinical scientists and ethicists have reviewed the unique situation of a large number of clinical trials in Ukraine, Russia, and the region now seriously disrupted by the war. The International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Pharmaceutical Medicine (IFAPP) immediately condemned the war with its terrible impact on human health, including that on clinical trials.

The IFAPP echoed the demand for medical neutrality put forward by the World Medical Association (WMA). Humanitarian and professional organizations as well as ordinary people have generously provided essential support for war victims and refugees. International pharmaceutical manufacturers’ associations have expressed their “mission of providing treatments and vaccines to all those affected by war, wherever they are”. The member companies of The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) have provided over 22 million doses of essential medicines and more than 62 million Euros of financial support to NGOs (as of August 2022).