The drug approval process is a series of steps that a new medication must go through before it can be sold to the public. It typically begins with laboratory research and animal testing to assess safety and effectiveness. If successful, the drug moves to clinical trials involving human participants, which are conducted in three phases to gather more data on its safety, dosage, and side effects. Once clinical trials are completed, the pharmaceutical company submits a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. The FDA reviews the data and decides whether to approve the drug for public use, ensuring it meets safety and efficacy standards.