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Placebo or sugar pill
A placebo or sugar pill produces therapeutic effects through the placebo effect, wherein the expectation of treatment triggers physiological and psychological responses independent of any active pharmaceutical ingredient.
A placebo or sugar pill produces therapeutic effects through the placebo effect, wherein the expectation of treatment triggers physiological and psychological responses independent of any active pharmaceutical ingredient. Used for Research and clinical trial control arm (not a therapeutic indication).
At a glance
| Generic name | Placebo or sugar pill |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Placebo |
| Sponsor | University of Florida |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Placebos work by activating the patient's expectation and belief in treatment, which can modulate pain perception, immune function, and symptom severity through neurobiological pathways. The placebo effect involves both conscious psychological processes and unconscious physiological mechanisms, including endogenous opioid release and autonomic nervous system modulation. This effect is particularly pronounced in conditions with subjective symptom components such as pain, nausea, and fatigue.
Approved indications
- Research and clinical trial control arm (not a therapeutic indication)
Common side effects
- Nocebo effect (negative expectation-induced symptoms)
Key clinical trials
- Curcumin to Improve Inflammation and Symptoms in Patients With Clonal Cytopenia of Undetermined Significance, Low Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (PHASE2)
- Adjuvant Curcumin to Assess Recurrence Free Survival in Patients Who Have Had a Radical Prostatectomy (PHASE3)
- Enhancing Parasympathetic Activity to Improve Endothelial Dysfunction, Vascular Oxidative Stress in African Americans (PHASE1, PHASE2)
- Mindfulness And Placebo for Pain (MAPP) Study (NA)
- Assessing Changes in Multi-parametric MRI in Patients With Acute Demyelinating Lesions Taking Clemastine Fumarate as a Myelin Repair Therapy (PHASE1, PHASE2)
- A Study of Enzalutamide Plus the Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Relacorilant Versus Placebo for Patients With High-risk Localized Prostate Cancer (PHASE2)
- Butyric Acid Supplementation for Gut Improvement After Cardiac Surgery in Kids (PHASE1, PHASE2)
- Multimodal Therapy for the Treatment of Fatigue in Patients With Prostate Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy With Androgen Deprivation Therapy (PHASE2)
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 or sugar pill CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Placebo or sugar pill updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- University of Florida portfolio CI