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A quote from the press release about the paper the OP cites:

But, according to the paper's author, Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, this standard has a fundamental problem, "there isn't anything actually known to be physiologically inert."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101018174335.ht...

Probably not, but disclosure of placebo ingredients would be enough to determine if it was a wise choice for a particular study.

Cellulose? Diamond? Glass? Ceramics?

I believe glass should work. Maybe teflon?

Gold?

Gold allergy.

Chalk?

It has antacid properties.

Cellulose as well? Dicalcium phosphate is also a common tablet filler, though I don't know if it's biologically inactive.

Calcium, surely..

Calcium can interact with a number of other chemicals, potentially negatively (for the surrounding organism). Although doses are probably important in judging that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_metabolism#Interaction_...