clinical trial phase
(KLIH-nih-kul TRY-ul fayz)
A part of the
clinical research process that answers specific questions
about whether treatments or other interventions that are
being studied work and are safe. Phase I trials test the
best way to give a new treatment and the best dose. Phase
II trials test whether a new treatment has an effect on the
disease. Phase III trials compare the results of people
taking a new treatment with the results of people taking
the standard treatment. Phase IV trials are done using
thousands of people after a treatment has been approved and
marketed, to check for side effects that were not seen in
the phase III trial.