A clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new monoclonal antibody therapy, mAb-12, designed to manage chronic joint inflammation.
During the trial, some participants reported experiencing mild nausea. The proportion of patients reporting this symptom over time is detailed in Table 1.
| Weeks since starting the trial | Percentage of patients reporting nausea taking mAb-12 (%) | Percentage of patients reporting nausea taking placebo (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 22.4 | 22.1 |
| 6 | 14.8 | 15.1 |
| 9 | 9.3 | 9.5 |
| 12 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
The researchers concluded that the reported nausea was not a direct physiological side effect of the monoclonal antibody therapy.
Explain, using information from Table 1, why the researchers reached this conclusion.
