According to Good Clinical Practice (GCP), an Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) is responsible for ensuring the protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of study participants.

Members of the IEC have the right to question the validity of the protocol and to request any relevant documents, such as the protocol itself, the consent form, investigator references, or information about the product under investigation. The IEC also has the authority to reject a study, request protocol modifications, oversee study conduct, or terminate it if necessary.