I think you totally misread that.
I took it as denigrading to the study, not the patients.
Stating that the study/Drs is treating them like guinea pigs.
Impying that is shorter than:
"There was some progress in the condition of the other very ill humans, which these researchers treated like guinea pigs, yesterday with three of them being taken off life support machines."
"I think you totally misread that."
Thanks for the clairication.