preclinical
adjective
pre·clin·i·cal
(ˌ)prē-ˈkli-ni-kəl 
1
: of, relating to, or concerned with the period preceding clinical manifestations
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
3
: occurring prior to clinical testing
a preclinical animal study of a new therapy
Examples of preclinical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Much of that is based on preclinical lab studies using animal models, as well as some human observational studies and in vitro work.
—
Will Stone, NPR, 25 June 2024
Since 1977, researchers have known that cancer patients have such cell-free DNA (which includes ctDNA) in their blood, but at the time, genetic sequencing tools were far too slow and too expensive to be used in patients, and were mostly reserved for preclinical research.
—Charlotte Hu, Vox, 4 June 2024
Approximately 100 others are in the preclinical pipeline.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024
The Company is advancing its ongoing preclinical studies with data expected before year end.
About James Parslow
Mr. Parslow is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of experience providing financial and business leadership to the biotech, e-commerce and clean tech industries.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preclinical 
Will Stone, NPR, 25 June 2024
Since 1977, researchers have known that cancer patients have such cell-free DNA (which includes ctDNA) in their blood, but at the time, genetic sequencing tools were far too slow and too expensive to be used in patients, and were mostly reserved for preclinical research.
—Charlotte Hu, Vox, 4 June 2024
Approximately 100 others are in the preclinical pipeline.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024
The Company is advancing its ongoing preclinical studies with data expected before year end.
About James Parslow
Mr. Parslow is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of experience providing financial and business leadership to the biotech, e-commerce and clean tech industries.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preclinical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preclinical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near preclinical
Cite this Entry
“Preclinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preclinical. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
preclinical
adjective
pre·clin·i·cal
(ˈ)prē-ˈklin-i-kəl
1
a
: of, relating to, concerned with, or being the period preceding clinical manifestations
the preclinical stage of diabetes mellitus
b
: occurring prior to a clinical trial
preclinical animal testing to assess a drug's safety
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
the preclinical years
specifically
: of or relating to the early period of prescribed medical or dental study devoted to the basic sciences (as anatomy, physiology, and pathology)
preclinical studies
3
: of, relating to, or being a science basic to medicine
research in the preclinical sciences
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