[bigfudge]

If that was the case, the study actually was unethical.

Some designs do include interim analyses and stopping rules.

However in my view the real scandal is we are still using NHST for clinical trials. We should be continuously updating a sensible prior for the effect size and approving the drug/stopping the trial when we have sufficient evidence one way the other.

As it is, the results of many underpowered trials are essentially thrown away because p > .05, which is stupid. This says nothing about the balance of evidence for the efficacy of an intervention… only the inertia and innumeracy of many clinicians preserves the tradition.