Relief without drugs.
Placebos without deception.

Five evidence-backed 14-day protocols that harness your brain’s own chemistry with no side-effects, just science.
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Scientific research pioneered at Harvard in 2012 showed placebos can help even when you're in on the secret.

Placebos without deception.

Open-label placebos (OLPs) are “dummy” medications that contain no active medicine, but unlike traditional placebos, the patient is told upfront they’re taking a placebo.

The process of undergoing inert treatment can trigger real mood and pain-relief neurological pathways, the very same ones activated by prescription medication.

Research-Backed Effectiveness Across 5 Conditions

Depression & Low Mood
Open-label placebo group experienced significantly less sadness after mood induction compared to controls
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Rapid onset effects: Significant improvement within first weeks of treatment
Early-onset depression responsive: Particularly beneficial for depression starting before age 50
Better therapy compliance: Patients taking OLP completed homework assignments 3 extra days
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IBS
69% of participants who received open-label placebo reporting a clinically meaningful improvement in their symptoms
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Works as well as real medicine: OLP matched double-blind placebo effectiveness completely
Strong responder rate: 70% achieved clinically meaningful improvement vs 54% control group
Dramatic symptom relief: 30% experienced very strong clinical response (150-point reduction)
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Anxiety
OLP experienced significantly less anxiety than the control before taking the test and less failed the test (29% vs. 53%)"
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Real performance boost: 29% failure rate vs 53% in control group
Significant anxiety reduction: Measured by validated anxiety scales before stressful tests
Works for high-anxiety people: Greatest benefit for those with baseline test anxiety
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PMS
79% reduction in symptom intensity for women taking OLP plus rationale and an 83% reduction in interference
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Nearly 80% symptom reduction: 79.3% reduction in symptom intensity reported
Life interference eliminated: 82.5% reduction in how PMS disrupts daily activities
Clinically meaningful improvement: Meets established medical criteria for treatment success
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Fatigue
OLP had a 29% improvement in fatigue severity and a 39% improvement in fatigue-disrupted quality of life
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29% fatigue improvement: Significant reduction in cancer-related exhaustion severity
39% quality of life boost: Major improvement in fatigue-disrupted daily functioning
Persistent benefits: Effects maintained throughout 3-week treatment period
View Study

How It Works.

1. Open Label Placebo Treatment
Consume your OLP treatment, guided daily by the app
2. 5-Minute Behavioural Therapy
Follow the therapeutic exercise in the app to improve how you feel
3. 5-Minute Written Cognitive Exercise  
Write out your exercise by hand to better process your thoughts and receive insight
Copables is an anagram of the word "placebos."

Backed by Gold-Standard Science.

Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies from Ivy League labs to leading cancer centers have confirmed the positive effect of OLP across PMS, fatigue, mood, and gut disorders.
View All OLP articles at National Institute of Health (241 results)
View All OLP Research at Nature (4628 results)

No meds. No huge bills.
No doctor's office.

No chemicals.
No side effects.
Less than a single therapy session.
Minutes a day in the comfort of home.

Fake medicine.
Real neuroscience.

The four neurodynamic mechanisms that underly the effectiveness of our approach.

Conditioned Healing Reflex

A lifetime of pills and medical treatment has trained your body to heal the moment you start a ritual of care. Our protocol taps those same neural pathways activated by years of real medicine.

New & Improved Expectations

Clear, scientific rationale about OLPs sets a new prediction in your brain: “I’m about to improve.” Your brain hunts for positive evidence to confirm this expectation and dampens your anxiety in the process - you become an optimist.

Feedback Loop Reset

Your brain expects pain because past discomfort has trained it to. Our placebo protocol breaks that feedback loop, letting your neural circuits recalibrate.

The Reward of Agency

The very decision to try our protocols can help. Neuroscience shows that simply taking control over our choices activates reward pathways in the brain, independent of whether those choices lead to better outcomes. Action compared to helplessness feels good.

A proven method, combining real world ritual with cutting edge technology.

Copables blends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — the world’s leading evidence-based behavioral health approach — with guided daily writing and digital feedback. Each exercise helps re-train stress and symptom responses while amplifying the effects of your daily OLP ritual.
See How It Works

Our other protocols designed to help you grow

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can placebos work if I know I’m taking them?

Believe it or not, your brain remembers what it felt like when real medicine helped you before. Even when you know a pill is “just a pill,” the simple act of taking it, combined with learning about how and why it helps, triggers your body’s natural pain- and stress-relief pathways. That’s why open-label placebos can still deliver real benefits: they tap into your own chemistry and expectations in a safe, drug-free way.

2. Are there any side effects or risks with open-label placebo treatment?

Since our placebos contain no active drugs, you won’t experience the usual medication side effects like drowsiness, nausea, or interactions with other treatments. The main “risk” is that a tiny number of people might notice no improvement or even feel a bit more anxious when taking an inert pill (a so-called nocebo effect). We guide you through each step to minimize this, and we always recommend seeking medical advice if symptoms worsen or you have concerns.

3. How does this compare to the cost of traditional medication or therapy?

Our 14-day protocols typically range from £49 to £79—far less than a month of many prescriptions or a single therapy session. Research even suggests that when people invest in their treatment, they feel it works better. With Copables, you get a scientifically backed, low-cost option that puts you in control, without expensive doctor visits or ongoing drug bills.

4. Will this actually work for my specific condition, or is it just “mind over matter”?

These aren’t vague suggestions—they’re evidence-based programs tested in real studies. For example, people with IBS saw a 69% drop in symptoms, and those using the anxiety protocol reported significant relief in stressful scenarios. While the mind does play a big role, these results are measured, peer-reviewed, and repeatable. Think of it as giving your brain the same kind of nudge a real drug would—only without the chemicals.