Question

Dr. Goldacre discusses studies that only test new drugs against placebos, rather than comparing the new drug, a placebo, and the best current treatment.  How do you think future research should address this issue?

Answer 1

The simple answer is that future research should compare the placebos, the new drug, and the best current treatment.

Testing the new drug against a placebo helps to establish its efficacy, and to determine what side effects are involved, but it does not establish its supremacy as a treatment. Comparing the drug to the best in class drug helps to determine whether the treatment is worth continuing to develop.