Tag Archives: placebo

A Placebo Can Work Even When You Know It’s a Dummy Pill

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published September 13, 2018. By definition, a placebo is an inert substance that has no effect on your body. In medical research, placebos (such as sugar pills) are used as controls against which the effects of drugs are measured. However, the placebo effect, in which… Read More: A Placebo Can Work Even When You Know It’s a… »

ESMO: Pfizer, Merck KGaA’s Bavencio comes up short against placebo in risky head and neck cancer trial

Sometimes in oncology, where both the unmet need and the level of competition are high, when you see a signal, you go for it. Taking on a bit more risk to head into phase 3 can make sense “because the patients are waiting and the business opportunity is in front of you,” as one Pfizer… Read More: ESMO: Pfizer, Merck KGaA’s Bavencio comes up short against placebo… »