Definition:
Placebo-controlled trials are clinical testing of medications where some patients receive the drug being tested and others are given a placebo, a lookalike pill (generally) that does not contain the drug. This allows researchers to scrutinize such things as effectiveness, side effects, long-term effects or dangers of the medication by discovering what percentage of people receiving the actual drug respond in various ways as compared to those who are receiving the placebo.
Placebo-controlled trials are clinical testing of medications where some patients receive the drug being tested and others are given a placebo, a lookalike pill (generally) that does not contain the drug. This allows researchers to scrutinize such things as effectiveness, side effects, long-term effects or dangers of the medication by discovering what percentage of people receiving the actual drug respond in various ways as compared to those who are receiving the placebo.
For more, see What Is a Placebo?
Pronunciation:
pluh-SEE-boh
pluh-SEE-boh
