Last reviewed · How we verify
Placebo (for Duloxetine)
Placebo produces no pharmacological effect and serves as an inert control in clinical trials to measure the baseline therapeutic response independent of drug action.
Placebo produces no pharmacological effect and serves as an inert control in clinical trials to measure the baseline therapeutic response independent of drug action. Used for Control arm in Duloxetine clinical trials (depression, anxiety, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain).
At a glance
| Generic name | Placebo (for Duloxetine) |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sugar pill |
| Sponsor | University of Nottingham |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Clinical Trial Control |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Placebo is a non-active substance used in randomized controlled trials to establish a baseline for comparison against active drug treatment. Any clinical benefit observed with placebo is attributed to the placebo effect—a psychobiological response driven by patient expectation, therapeutic context, and natural disease progression. This allows researchers to isolate the true pharmacological efficacy of the active comparator drug (in this case, Duloxetine).
Approved indications
- Control arm in Duloxetine clinical trials (depression, anxiety, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain)
Common side effects
- Placebo effect (symptom improvement unrelated to pharmacology)
Key clinical trials
- Procedural Framing and Epidural Steroid Injection Outcomes (NA)
- Effects of 2-Aticyto Complex and D-Ribose on Pain and Clinical Course in Patients With Fibromyalgia (NA)
- Duloxetine for Perioperative Pain in Hip Arthroplasty: A RCT (PHASE4)
- Adding Amantadine or Duloxetine to Pregabalin on Occurrence of Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (NA)
- Efficacy of Two Doses of Duloxetine and Amitriptyline in Subjects With Refractory Chronic Cough (PHASE2)
- Efficacy of Two Doses of Duloxetine & Amitriptyline in Interstitial Lung Disease-related Cough (PHASE2)
- Prescription Opioids, Brain Structure, and Cognition in Older Adults With Chronic Pain (PHASE2)
- Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Compared to Duloxetine: Non-inferiority Clinical Trial (FIBROSTIM) (NA)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Placebo (for Duloxetine) CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Placebo (for Duloxetine) updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- University of Nottingham portfolio CI