Ethics is an understanding of the nature of conflicts arising from moral imperatives and how best we may deal with them (1). Nuremberg code was formulated in response to the criticism of unethical human experimentation conducted by Nazi doctors during Second World War. It was the first international code of ethics in clinical research laying down the guidelines for research on human subjects (2). It laid down ten clear principles to be followed by researchers and made voluntary consent essential, allowed subjects to withdraw from the experimentation at any time, banned experiments that could result in major injury or death of the subjects, and made mandatory to have preclinical data before experimenting on humans. Medical ethics also deals with the choices made by society, the distribution of resources, and access to health care, and the dilemmas arising from them (3). The challenge to international research ethics is to apply universal ethical principles to biomedical research with considerable variation in standards of health care in a multicultural world with diverse health-care systems. Medical research which is necessary and fundamental for acquiring and propagating worthwhile novel knowledge is equally controversial because of the conflicts of interest of the researchers or the sponsors (4). Both universal and regional guidelines have been proposed to strike a balance between these two opposing interests and to ensure standardized ethical research. Beneficence is directed to promote the well-being of patients and society. On the other hand, non-maleficence implies first do no harm which can be achieved by careful decision making and having adequate training. Justice deals with the equitable distribution of social benefits.(5)
