The phase of drug testing involving human subjects is called what?

• A. Volunteer Testing
• B. Clinical Trials
• C. Clinical Patient Studies
• D. Human Subject Studies

Answer: (C)

Testing a drug in humans is carried out through clinical trials. This term refers to the organized process of evaluating a drug in people, typically in phases that progressively assess safety, dosing, and effectiveness. Phase I focuses on safety and pharmacokinetics in a small group; Phase II expands to assess efficacy and further safety; Phase III involves large-scale testing to confirm effectiveness and monitor adverse reactions; Phase IV occurs after approval to monitor long-term safety in the general population. While terms like volunteer testing or human subject studies appear in broader contexts, the established label for the human-testing portion of drug development is clinical trials.