Dr. goldacre discusses studies that only test new drugs against placebos, rather than comparing the new drug, a placebo, and the best current treatment.  how do you think future research should address this issue?

The simple answer is that future research should compare the placebos, the new drug, and the best current treatment. 

Testing the new drug against a placebo helps to establish its efficacy, and to determine what side effects are involved, but it does not establish its supremacy as a treatment. Comparing the drug to the best in class drug helps to determine whether the treatment is worth continuing to develop.