There were extensive planning processes in both these trials. International expertise was assembled to help with the planning of the trials. There was intense scientific review. For example, in the antibiotic trial, not only national review by a federal review panel, but review by an additional 30 IRBs. You could legitimately say that these research projects have been reviewed 31 times by 31 separate bodies.
Human studies review, of course.
Full compliance with FDA regulations. Again, using a drug that's off the shelf, doxycycline, for a disease and a condition for which it is not approved requires FDA concurrence. Here is a typical paradigm for clinical research involving a treatment strategy. Knowing explicitly and a priori what the question of interest is. Selecting and recruiting the patients.