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Placebo (PL)
Placebo produces therapeutic effects through patient expectation and the psychobiological placebo response, rather than through a pharmacologically active ingredient.
Placebo produces therapeutic effects through patient expectation and the psychobiological placebo response, rather than through a pharmacologically active ingredient. Used for Used as control arm in clinical trials across all therapeutic areas.
At a glance
| Generic name | Placebo (PL) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Novartis |
| Modality | Biologic |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Placebo works via psychological and neurobiological mechanisms including expectation, conditioning, and activation of endogenous pain-relief and reward pathways. The effect is not due to the inert substance itself, but rather the patient's belief in treatment and contextual factors surrounding administration. Placebo responses are well-documented across multiple therapeutic areas and can produce measurable physiological changes.
Approved indications
- Used as control arm in clinical trials across all therapeutic areas
Common side effects
- Nocebo effects (adverse events attributed to placebo)
Key clinical trials
- NR and Exercise for Blood Pressure (NA)
- Effects of Caffeine and Shot Put Performance (NA)
- Effects of MIB-626 With and Without A High-Intensity Multi-Dimensional Exercise Training Program (PHASE2)
- Short-Term Metformin Use in Young, Healthy Adults: Impacts on Exercise Capacity (PHASE4)
- Bone, Exercise, Alendronate, and Caloric Restriction (PHASE4)
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Study to Evaluate the Safety of a Bovine Thymus Nuclear Extract (NA)
- Load and Hold: Impact of 7-Day Creatine Monohydrate Loading on Breath-Hold Cycling Performance (NA)
- Impact of Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate Loading on Insulin Resistance in Adult Cardiac Surgery Patients (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 (PL) CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Placebo (PL) updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Novartis portfolio CI