In Reply We thank Targum for his interest in our systematic review and meta-analysis¹ on placebo run-in periods (PRI) in antidepressant trials for depression. We identified 348 double-blind randomized clinical trials (RCTs), 174 of which used a single-blind PRI. We found no difference in the drug-placebo difference between trials with and without a PRI. Targum does not question this finding, but argues that it may not extend to double-blind PRIs. As Targum notes, few double-blind PRI trials exist. None were identified in our systematic review and meta-analysis. Clearly, there is limited evidence to judge whether double-blind PRIs influence the drug-placebo difference. However, there are reasons to suspect such influence is unlikely. Even if small differences emerged, double-blind PRIs would not likely be problematic.