The evolving role of placebo in non-inferiority trials: A scoping review

Placebo is increasingly used in non-inferiority trials aimed at evaluating the necessity of standard interventions, including safety, deprescription, and shorter-course designs. However, many trials lack critical methodological transparency. Future studies should clearly justify non-inferiority designs and margins, use both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, and adhere to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials reporting guidelines to enhance interpretability and rigor.