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Therapeutic Index

Meaning

The Therapeutic Index, or therapeutic ratio, is a quantitative measurement used in pharmacology and clinical practice to compare the dose of a therapeutic agent that causes a desired clinical effect to the dose that causes toxicity or adverse side effects. It is formally calculated as the ratio of the toxic dose (TD50) to the effective dose (ED50). A high therapeutic index indicates a safer compound, as a wide margin exists between the effective dose and the harmful dose.