Source: www.wired.com
USA, August 24, 2009: Drug developers say the placebo effect seems to be getting stronger: half of all drugs that fail in late-stage trials could not even outperform sugar pills. Despite historic levels of industry investment in R&D, the US Food and Drug Administration approved only 19 first-of-their-kind remedies in 2007–the fewest since 1983–and just 24 last year.
In a 2008 study of the placebo effect, volunteers were placed randomly in one of three groups. One group was simply put on a waiting list; researchers know that some patients get better just because they sign up for a trial. Another group received placebo treatment from a clinician who declined to engage in small talk. The third group also received placebos, but their clinician asked them questions about symptoms, outlined the causes of their illness, and displayed optimism about their condition. Not surprisingly, the health of those in the third group improved most. In fact, just by participating in the trial, volunteers in this high-interaction group got as much relief as did people taking the two leading prescription drugs. Furthermore, the benefits of their bogus treatment persisted for weeks afterward, despite a common belief that the placebo response is short-lived.
Drugmakers are realizing they need to fully understand the mechanisms behind the placebo effect so they can design trials that differentiate more clearly between the beneficial effects of their products and the body’s innate ability to heal itself.