The traditional process of drug discovery and development is time-consuming and expensive. Exploratory clinical trials, which are carried out in humans at an early stage of drug testing, provide pharmacological information that can be used to reduce attrition rates and minimize preclinical testing. The authors of this Review describe the concept of exploratory clinical trials and highlight new investigational drugs that could benefit patients with kidney disease.
- Toshio Miyata
- Katsushi Kikuchi
- Charles van Ypersele de Strihou
