3523 Innovative Approaches to Clinical Research on Placebo Effects: A Regulatory Science Perspective
Authors: Uweh Kimberly 
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To analyze contemporary study design methods and clinical trial approaches in placebo research. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: An analysis was conducted on the following studies: I. “Managing” the Placebo Effect: The Single-Blind Placebo Lead-in Response in Two Pain Models by RN Haden, et al. The objective of the study was to consider elements of the placebo response in the context of two pain models using a “single-blind placebo lead-in” design (SBPLI) by engaging the “placebo response” prior to randomization to active drug and placebo-controlled conditions. The methods of the study included two pilot drug trials using knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and non-radicular low back pain (LBP) subjects, SBPLI protocols were conducted. In the first study, 36 subjects with non-radicular CLBP were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of hydromorphone ER. In the second study, a total of 42 subjects with chronic KOA pain were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of milnacipran. Gender and/or diagnosis affected placebo responses as observed in changes in patient self-reported pain, depressive and pain anxiety symptoms were examined. Additionally, the placebo response on performance-based tests (stair climbing, range of motion (ROM), sit to stand repetitions, and 6-minute treadmill distance) was evaluated. II. Randomized Placebo-Controlled Placebo Trial to Determine the Placebo Effect Size by L. Gerdesmeyer, et al. The objective of the study was to analyze the pure placebo effect on clinical, chronic pain through a blinded RCT. The methods of the study included 182 patients suffering from chronic plantar heel pain for over 6 months, who failed to respond to conservative treatments, were screened and 106 of these patients were enrolled into this study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either a blinded placebo shockwave treatment or an unblinded placebo shockwave treatment. The primary outcome measure was the differences in percentage change of visual analogue scale (VAS) scores 6 weeks after the intervention. The secondary outcome measure was the differences in Roles and Maudsley pain score (RMS) 6 weeks after intervention. III. Open-label placebo treatment in chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial by C. Carvalho, et al. The objective of the study was to investigate whether placebo effects in chronic low back pain could be harnessed ethically by adding open-label placebo (OLP) treatment to treatment as usual (TAU) for 3 weeks. The methods of the study included 97 randomized participants in a 3-week randomized control trial comparing current treatment plus OLP to current treatment alone (TAU). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: N/a DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The aforementioned studies provide placebo researchers with contemporary and reliable methodologies to examine placebo effects on participants. These methodologies provide scientists with clinical translational research methodology styles based on the foundation of regulatory science.