They are doing something wholly new and wholly new for a complex disease and trial. There is no set placebo arm. So you do not have to agree. Those are the facts.
They set out a process at the start, and it entailed validation by this means. Changing their mind while actually in process, where the journal article is in flux and might change runs the risk that their PR can be described as in error. That creates all manner of huge problems for them.
So it doesn’t matter whether you agree or not. That is the situation.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
