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Maximum Tolerated Dose

Meaning

The Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) is the highest dose of a drug or therapy that produces the desired therapeutic effect without causing unacceptable or dose-limiting toxicity in the patient. Determining the MTD is a primary objective of Phase I clinical trials, particularly in oncology and other fields where the therapeutic index is narrow. This dose represents a critical boundary in pharmacological intervention, balancing the need for maximal efficacy against the imperative of patient safety. Identifying the MTD ensures that subsequent, larger-scale trials are conducted with a regimen that is both effective and reasonably safe.