[NukeMan]

Actually, no. The placebo effect has been increasing noticeably over the past 15 years or so, a very puzzling development. Drugs that passed muster in 1985 (superior to placebo and roughly equivalent to a tricyclic antidepressant (the 'gold standard' AD)) might not pass today. In fact, one large pharma company couldn't show effectiveness for a trial of an noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor, but also included in that trial was a control group that took Prozac (fluoxetine) and a control group that took a placebo. *Neither* Prozac nor the experimental drug proved superior to a placebo!!.

[Al B.]

The placebo effect has been increasing noticeably over the past 15 years or so, a very puzzling development.

Perceptive point. Maybe Eli Lilly salted the original trials. You can get some evidence of that just by looking at the exclusion criteria in the PDR. Others who have looked at FOIA'd clinical trial data and written about it say some pretty startling things about what went on in the clinical trials used for approving Prozac.

[Dianna]

The placebo effect has been increasing noticeably over the past 15 years or so, a very puzzling development. Drugs that passed muster in 1985 (superior to placebo and roughly equivalent to a tricyclic antidepressant (the 'gold standard' AD)) might not pass today.

Is it possible that the diagnosis of depression has become softer over the last 15 years? I think it has, certainly when it comes to family Dr's prescribing meds. But does that also effect the groups admitted to the study?

[monkey]

The placebo effect has been increasing noticeably over the past 15 years or so

Is that in comparison with antipsychotics, antidepressants and/or other candidate CNS drugs, or across the spectrum of all indications? Also, are there any studies on this matter? Thanks.