A Pharmaceutical Company Has Developed a Medication Which They Believe

question 75

Essay

A pharmaceutical company has developed a medication which they believe will help to reduce the pain of arthritis.They would like to test the medication at two different dosage levels.They design an experiment as follows to test the medication.They will obtain a group of volunteers who suffer from arthritis.A doctor from the pharmaceutical company will evaluate each patient's condition at the start of the experiment.Volunteers will be randomly assigned to one of three groups.Each day for the duration of the experiment,patients in group 1 will receive a low dose of the medication,patients in group 2 will receive a higher dose of the medication,and patients in group 3 will receive a placebo.After a suitable amount of time (two months,for example),the same doctor will evaluate each patient's progress.Based on the amount of inflammation and the patient's report on the amount of pain,the doctor will give each patient a numerical score to represent their improvement.The amount of improvement for the three groups would then be compared.They will also ensure that the technicians administering the supplements are blinded to whether patients receive a low dose,a high dose,or a placebo.Identify the flaw(s)in this experiment.

---

Definitions:

Repurchase

The act of buying back previously sold stock or securities by the company that issued them.

Involuntary

Actions or reactions occurring without conscious control or decision, often used in legal contexts to describe actions not done by one's own volition.

Fractional Shares

Smaller portions of a full share of stock, representing a piece of equity less than one full share.

Shareholder Derivative Action

A lawsuit brought by a company shareholder against the company's executives, directors, or other insiders, typically for breach of fiduciary duties.