A recent analysis conducted by the Tufts Center for the Study of
Drug Development estimated that the average cost to develop and
gain marketing approval for a new drug is in excess of $2.55 billion,
so the need to prove superior efficacy and safety when compared to
an already marketed product is of critical importance. This can help
remove both investigator and patient bias due to the visibility of the
marketed product and can limit any potential placebo effect. Gareth
Corey at Almac Clinical Services says that one of the extensively
used mechanisms available to sponsor companies to promote
blinding is the over-encapsulation of tablets or capsules.