A placebo is a harmless, inactive product used to compare results of the active drug or treatment being studied and to learn more about its actions. It is used in clinical trials as one of many possible treatments. Because the patient and health care professionals usually do not know which individual has received the placebo and which has not, observations in the clinical trial can be conducted more fairly, since undue concentration on the people who received the new drug is reduced.

"Any new medication has the potential for side effects. A clinical trial can help to determine if there are side effects and what we can expect if they occur. This, in turn, will help us to find newer and (hopefully) better treatment options."
—Physician Investigator

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