Using an Equivalent Protections Framework to Improve Oversight of International Human Subjects Research

Current US military international research protocols involving human subjects are reviewed, approved, and overseen by both US and regulatory bodies. In some cases host nation research partners are disadvantaged due to slower processing times and redundant protocol reviews when competing for opportunities to conduct clinical trials. This article considers international legal and regulatory tensions between protecting host nations' patient-subjects and supporting host nation researchers' ability to conduct phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials in support of important military and global health objectives.