Insights
The Placebo response in drug development. Part 1: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Evidence has accumulated in recent years that the placebo response is a significant issue in evaluating efficacy of drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic disease characterized by inflammatory synovitis and progressive joint destruction.
The Opioid Crisis in the US: Fueling the Next Wave of Drug Development for Chronic Pain
While the opioid crisis may be creating opportunity for development of novel therapies to treat chronic pain, drug development in this area has historically struggled. According to a BIO report released in 2018, only two novel NCEs were approved for pain indications from 2007-2017 while other analgesia approvals during this period were reformulations of existing compounds or drugs with approval history prior to 2007.
Is the placebo effect contagious between investigators and patients?
A recent study published in Nature Human Behavior developed a methodology to understand and assess the role of physician expectation on the placebo response. Read more about this study here.
Tools4Patient Introduces New Brand and Website
Tools4Patient is committed to our mission of developing predictive tools to optimize the evaluation of clinical-stage drugs. Along with our recent launch of Placebell©™ – a predictive algorithm focused on the placebo response – and our recent fundraising to support commercialization of Placebell©™ and further R&D, T4P is entering a new phase as a company.
The Case Against Excluding High Placebo Responders from Clinical Trials
Drug developers have been struggling with the placebo response for decades, as a strong placebo effect diminishes the ability to distinguish pharmacologic treatment efficacy of an experimental drug.
Predicting The Placebo Response In Chronic Pain Patients
There is substantial scientific literature describing the placebo response in pain, including characterizing the magnitude and duration of placebo response in randomized clinical trials.