How are Toxicity Levels of Pharmaceuticals Determined?
The toxicity levels of pharmaceuticals are determined through preclinical and clinical studies. Preclinical studies involve in vitro (test tube or cell culture) and in vivo (animal) testing to assess the potential toxicity of a drug. Clinical studies involve human trials conducted in phases to monitor adverse effects and establish safe dosage levels. The data collected from these studies help in setting the therapeutic index, which is the ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutic dose of a drug.
