AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE FORCE to trial CHLOROQUINE in 14 week COVID drug trial..

being funded by some big private money there

Maybe they learned their lesson with test fallout like Maralinga where they detonated nuclear bombs in SA and contaminated people with radiation and had to compensate. Now they make it voluntary and God only knows what's in the fine print of the paperwork they'd be signing. That would be interesting....

British nuclear tests at Maralinga were conducted between 1956 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia about 800 kilometres (500 mi) north west of Adelaide.

Wiki - [link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Its the military so government funded.

"The Australian Defence Force [ADF] Malaria and Infectious Diseases Institute has been conducting a study to see whether anti-malaria drug chloroquine is effective in stopping people from contracting coronavirus."

A bit more info on what you might be referring to...

"A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said approval was granted in line with the governance structure of the DDVA HREC, which is pooled into categories.

"Not all members in the pool are required to deliberate on all proposals," the spokesperson said.

"By design and necessity, an ethics committee has a diverse makeup and the [National Health and Medical Research Council] National Statement does not require unanimity."

That's a word salad right there. Surely they have some forms to sign. I'd want to run it through a lawyer for sure. But, if you're signing up to be a guinea pig, you may not be the brightest bulb in the pack.

I wonder how much they're getting paid....

"Well-conducted clinical trials are needed in the global fight against COVID-19," the spokesperson said.

Over the 14-week trial, volunteers will take a loading dose of 300 milligrams of chloroquine per day for three days, followed by a weekly dose of 300 milligrams for nine weeks.

Doctors and veterans have previously raised concerns about the study, saying the ADF had a "poor track record" of testing quinoline drugs on soldiers and it was difficult for military personnel to give informed consent.

I don't think they will find enough patients.