Definition:
Phase 1 clinical trials are done to see if an experimental medication or treatment is safe. After a treatment is tested in the lab or on animals, it enters a phase 1 clinical trial that is done with humans. A phase 1 clinical trial usually involves only a small number of people to determine if a drug or treatment is safe, and to determine the best dose of a drug and how it should be given (whether orally or intravenously).
If a treatment appears safe at the end of a phase 1 clinical trial, it may then enter a phase 2 clinical trial, a study done to see if a treatment is effective.
Further Reading:
Also Known As: phase I clinical trials
Examples:
Ben decided to participate in a phase 1 clinical trial for his lung cancer. The study is designed to see if a new drug is safe. Chances are it will not benefit him significantly, but lung cancer runs in his family and hopes to have a chance to further research for his children and grandchildren.
