Given how PI's have been cultivated/corrupted in the USA as literal servants of Big (P)harma - and given how we seem to be a mere lackey of the USA on many fronts, ie. FDA->TGA mirroring, it could be the 'ethical issue' is a fig leaf.
Slow-rolling this trial so a bigger fish can swoop in as the IBX patents expire would be exactly the kind of trick I'd expect from multi-Billion $$ companies of proven criminality. Pfizer alone has paid out the biggest ever sum for fraud, $2.3B:
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/pfizer-fined-23-billion-illegal-marketing-off-label/story?id=8477617. Their top 10:
https://lawyerinc.com/biggest-pfizer-lawsuits/Not a company I'd trust to act in an ethical manner. And only one of several creatures in Fauci's fetid swamp.
Before the PI was selected for our trial, due diligence would have been appropriate. This immolation of SH value has been huge. An expensive (for us) omission (by them).
GLTAH. DYOR.
