Dose-finding studies are performed routinely in patients and - if appropria
te surrogate models exist - also in healthy volunteers. Such studies aim at
establishing the optimal dose range for further clinical studies on the ef
ficacy and the risk-benefit ratio of a new drug.
The dose-response relationship of a drug is most often described by a sigmo
idal curve. Its parameters include the mean effective dose, the maximal eff
ect and the steepness. Interpretation of such curves should be done in the
context of the intended clinical indications of the drug.
The risk-benefit ratio of a drug can be assessed by overlapping the dose-re
sponse curve of wanted and unwanted clinical effects, again, any overlappin
g (which can be described e.g. by the therapeutic index) should be seen in
the context of the indication and available therapeutic alternatives.