placebo

Novo Nordisk stock declined following the failure of its experimental anti-inflammatory drug ziltivekimab in a late-stage trial. The drug did not reduce major adverse cardiovascular events compared to a placebo in a study involving over 6,300 patients.

Taking a daily multivitamin may help older adults preserve strength and stamina for everyday activities. After three years, users reported better functional health compared to those taking a placebo, though the findings are preliminary and require peer review.

A low-cost antidepressant, fluvoxamine, significantly reduced long COVID fatigue and improved quality of life in a randomized clinical trial involving 399 adults. The study found it outperformed a placebo, marking one of the first medications to show meaningful benefits for long COVID.

Definium Therapeutics reported that a single dose of its LSD-based experimental pill significantly reduced major depression symptoms in a late-stage trial, leading to a 55% surge in its shares to a four-year high. Patients on the drug recorded lower depression scale scores than those on placebo after six weeks.

A small clinical trial found that older adults with depression who took a daily probiotic alongside their antidepressant treatment showed slightly greater improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to those who received a placebo.