Last reviewed 2026-04-23 · How we verify

Placebo for thalidomide

A placebo control contains no active pharmaceutical ingredient and produces no pharmacological effect.

A placebo control contains no active pharmaceutical ingredient and produces no pharmacological effect. Used for Control arm in Phase 3 clinical trial (indication under investigation for thalidomide comparator).

At a glance

Mechanism of action

Placebos are inert substances used as controls in clinical trials to establish the efficacy of an active drug by comparison. They rely on the placebo effect—psychological and physiological responses to the expectation of treatment—rather than any direct molecular mechanism. In this context, it serves as a comparator arm in a Phase 3 trial evaluating thalidomide or a thalidomide analog.

Approved indications

• Control arm in Phase 3 clinical trial (indication under investigation for thalidomide comparator)

Common side effects

No common side effects on file.

Key clinical trials

• Evaluating the Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Luspatercept Combined With Thalidomide in the Treatment of β-TDT Patients (PHASE2)
• Pomalidomide for the Treatment of Bleeding in HHT (PHASE2)
• Prevention of Treatment Induced Neuropathy in Multiple Myeloma (PHASE2)
• A Study of Camrelizumab Combined With Chemotherapy ± Thalidomide in First-line Treatment of Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) (PHASE4)
• the Efficiency of Thalidomide for Recurrent Small Intestinal Bleeding Due to Gastrointestinal Vascular Malformation (PHASE3)
• The Efficacy and Safety of Thalidomide Combined With Low-dose Hormones in the Treatment of Severe COVID-19 (PHASE2)
• The Efficacy and Safety of Thalidomide in the Adjuvant Treatment of Moderate New Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pneumonia (PHASE2)
• Thalidomide for the Treatment of Hormone-Dependent Prostate Cancer (PHASE3)

Primary sources

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