Abstract

We present a case based on a research project in dermatology comparing a new therapeutic proposal for the treatment of onychomycosis) with placebo.
The project was submitted for approval by the Research Ethics Committee, which did not approve it because it was considered unethical to leave patients in the placebo group without effective treatment, existing standard treatments accepted and used regularly.
The Committee proposed that the researcher could replace the placebo with one of the available treatments. The researcher accepted, but was upset by what he considered to be a rigidity of the Committee that makes it difficult to get research support from pharmaceutical companies.
An analysis of the case is made based on the ethical principles of do no harm and beneficence. The current discussion about the use of placebos in clinical research is presented.