Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why.
Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why. * Photo: Nick Veasey * Merck was in trouble. In 2002, the pharmaceutical giant was falling behind its rivals in sales. Even worse, patents on five blockbuster drugs were about to expire, which would allow cheaper generics to flood the market.placeboLINK