A government watchdog report warns that the federal government must increase its oversight of institutional review boards that approve scientific research and protect participants in clinical trials. This is especially important as more for-profit businesses are running these reviews.
Institutional review boards are also known as ethics panels. They play an important role behind the scenes in ensuring that clinical studies are done properly. Federal regulations require that all research involving humans must first be approved by such a board. If the risks to participants are too high, the committees can approve, modify, or reject the proposed research.
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