* Typically involve a small number of patients (10-30)
* Designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a new treatment
* May also collect preliminary data on the treatment's efficacy
Phase 2b clinical trials
* Involve a larger number of patients (50-100)
* Designed to further evaluate the safety and tolerability of a new treatment
* Also collect more detailed data on the treatment's efficacy
The main difference between phase 2a and 2b clinical trials is the number of patients involved. Phase 2a trials are smaller and designed to primarily assess safety, while phase 2b trials are larger and designed to collect more detailed data on efficacy.