When researchers hold clinical trials to test the effectiveness and potential side effects of a new drug or medical treatment, it’s critical to determine whether positive outcomes are the result of the new treatment or outside factors. That’s why instead of simply testing the new treatment on a single group of participants, clinical trials separate participants into comparison groups, with one group receiving the new treatment and the other receiving a placebo in many cases.
What is a placebo?
A placebo is a “fake” drug or treatment, resembling the “real” treatment but made with inactive ingredients that have no effect on a person’s health. However, “mind over matter” is a real phenomenon, and clinical researchers have discovered that some people start to feel better if they just believe they’re being treated. This is called the placebo effect, and while the effects are not long-lasting, it is a valuable tool in determining the results of a clinical trial.
How are placebos used in clinical trials?
Participants in a clinical trial are randomly separated into two groups: the investigational group, which receives the new drug or treatment, and the control group, which does not. The randomization is key, as participants will not know which group they belong to, ensuring unbiased, accurate results.
The gold standard of clinical trials is the “double-blind” study, in which the researchers and participants are both unaware of which group is which. In a clinical trial using placebos, researchers are able to determine how much of the positive effect on the investigational group is due to the new treatment. To be considered valid, a new drug or treatment must be statistically more effective than the placebo.
Are placebos always used in clinical trials?
Placebos are an accurate way to evaluate the effectiveness of a new treatment, but they are not always practical to use as a control group. In drug trials for cancer patients, for example, it would be unethical to give a patient an inactive drug, so other types of control groups might be used, including:
- Standard medication: the existing, commonly prescribed treatment
- Historical: each group receives the new treatment, but from different time periods
- No treatment: less common, as participants are aware of their group status
How do you know if you’re in a placebo group?
By the nature of a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, you won’t know whether you have been placed in the investigational group or the control group, although trials that use placebos are required to disclose that fact up front. You might prefer to know which group you’re in, but awareness is detrimental to the trial. For example, if participants know they’re in the placebo group they might not report health problems that occur, while investigational group participants will, making the treatment appear to have worse side effects that it actually does. Blind results are the most accurate results.
Clinical trials at Synergy Research Centers
Participating in a clinical trial offers not only potential benefits to your own personal health, but you’re also helping advance medical science for the greater good of humanity. If you have questions about your eligibility for clinical trials currently offered at Synergy Research Centers, fill out our contact form or call us at (619) 304-1726 today.