investigational

adjective

in·​ves·​ti·​ga·​tion·​al in-ˌve-stə-ˈgā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce investigational (audio)
1
: of or relating to investigation
investigational activities
2
: relating to or being a drug or medical procedure that is not approved for general use but is under investigation in clinical trials regarding its safety and efficacy
an investigational new drug

Examples of investigational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Typically, the dietary supplement category does not include items approved as new drugs, licensed as biologics, or authorized for clinical research under an effective investigational new drug application (IND). Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2023 The study scientists then compare the new device with the positive control to determine whether the investigational device is working properly. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024 The company has amassed a trove of data, from public sources and proprietary work, on how small chemical tweaks affect the metabolism, absorption, and toxicity of investigational drugs. Damian Garde, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023 Promising investigational drugs for quitting smoking are getting close to clinical trials. David A. Brenner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023 In early studies, Loyal dosed 130 research dogs with its investigational drug. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023 Early Food and Drug Administration approval for Neuralink’s trial came in May this year with an investigational device exemption, which allows medical device makers to move ahead with human trials. Sarah McBride, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023 The idea is this would be an investigational vaccine that was stored. Helen Branswell, STAT, 20 July 2023 This investigational RNA interference therapeutic agent inhibits the production of the protein that causes hypertension, or high blood pressure. Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'investigational.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of investigational was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near investigational

Cite this Entry

“Investigational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigational. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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