Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNAT)

[drugmanrx]

Unfortunately, they can't. In clinical trials sometime the placebo out preforms the test drug.

Doctors could still make an assumption. If the percentage total of both groups is better then the standard then it shows an improvement from the new drug.

What that shows you is that the percentage total of both groups might have gotten better without any drugs.

To be effected the test drug must out preform the placebo a certain percentage.

Without know who got what there is no way to determine that til the end of the study.

A double-blind study is one in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment. This procedure is utilized to prevent bias in research results. Double-blind studies are particularly useful for preventing bias due to demand characteristics or the placebo effect.