Placebos becoming too effective, pharma industry worries

Re:Placebos becoming too effective, pharma industry worries by lifeisstillgood on Thursday March 28, 2013 @06:23AM (#5454058)

But it is simple - medicine has long demanded 95% confidence levels.

Keep them.

Do not budge. Do not allow drugs to come through that fail to meet those standards

Now offer really big X-prizes for malarial drugs

Now allow holistic treatment as part of the drug trial - drug plus recorded CBT, drug plus exercise regieme monitored

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Re:Placebos becoming too effective, pharma industry worries by stygianguest on Thursday March 28, 2013 @06:32AM (#5454075)

While I'm not against them, prizes are not enough to sustainbly drive research as they only reward the winners. It is the reality of research (as opposed to engineering) that outcomes are uncertain. Meanwhile researchers have to eat and typically have good (well-payed) alternatives.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Placebos becoming too effective, pharma industry worries by Retric on Thursday March 28, 2013 @06:59AM (#5454140)

It's normal for drug research to be prize driven after all if Viagra caused heart attacks none none of those billions would have shown up.

[ Parent | on HN ]