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Placebo (sucrose)
Placebo produces therapeutic effects through psychological and psychophysiological mechanisms, including expectation, conditioning, and natural disease course.
Placebo produces therapeutic effects through psychological and psychophysiological mechanisms, including expectation, conditioning, and natural disease course. Used for Control arm in clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas.
At a glance
| Generic name | Placebo (sucrose) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Placebo (sucrose) is an inert substance used as a control in clinical trials. Its effects arise from patient expectation, the therapeutic context, and the natural history of disease rather than from any pharmacological action. Placebo can modulate symptoms through central nervous system pathways, particularly for conditions with subjective components such as pain, nausea, and fatigue.
Approved indications
- Control arm in clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas
Common side effects
- Nocebo effects (adverse events attributed to placebo)
Key clinical trials
- IRELAnD: Investigating the Role of Early Low-dose Aspirin in Diabetes (PHASE3)
- Study of the Safety of a Particular Herpes Vaccine in Adults With or Without Herpes Infection (PHASE1)
- Effects of Sucralose on Drug Absorption and Metabolism (The SweetMeds Study) (PHASE2)
- A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Immunogenicity of MTBVAC in Adolescents and Adults Living in a TB Endemic Region. (PHASE2)
- CDC-9 Inactivated Rotavirus Vaccine (IRV) Microneedle Patch (MNP) in Healthy Adults (PHASE1)
- Study of Intravenous ZMA001 in Healthy Subjects (PHASE1)
- Glucocorticoids Versus Placebo for the Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (PHASE3)
- Evaluation of Pine Bark Extract for Anti-fatigue Ergogenic Properties (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 (sucrose) CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Placebo (sucrose) updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) portfolio CI