De-risking Drug Development is a five-part podcast series that explores the business-critical decisions that take place at each stage of the drug development process. We know that novel therapies often don’t meet their revenue expectations, but through informed decision-making, you can minimize risk and maximize the probability of commercial success. In episode two we discuss the critical decision points in early phase development (phase I to IIa) that can ultimately determine the success of your product. Specifically, we discuss why drugs fail at this early stage, focusing on safety, tolerability and efficacy. We focus on the importance of integrated clinical development planning, with our experts' informed perspectives on regulatory, feasibility and early phase requirements. Our discussion covers how risk can be mitigated, and key takeaways that biotech leaders should - but often don't - consider in early phase development.