Real-world evidence is the rage. Let's talk about it

Among the loftier promises of technology in medicine is a future in which, instead of giving patients placebo, drug developers compare a new treatment against an ocean of real-world data, saving time and money in the process.

A few companies say we’re moving toward such a reality, and the FDA has signaled that it’s open to considering real-world evidence when approving new drugs. But how close is science to replacing placebo?

Join STAT’s senior medicine writer, Matt Herper, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 5, for a subscriber-only live chat on how some experts hope to use real-world evidence and why others are deeply skeptical. Sign up here.