Everything else aside, it should be illegal to advertise that your drug "has similar side-effects to placebo" if the placebo has active ingredients deliberately

Everything else aside, it should be illegal to advertise that your drug "has similar side-effects to placebo" if the placebo has active ingredients deliberately intended to cause the side effects. The claim as made by the ads indicates to the average rational person that taking the drug has no higher chance of side effects than simple sugar pills. The reasonable conclusion for anyone who would be willing to take sugar pills is that this medication is safe, when in fact it easily might not be.