Recent Advances in Clinical Trial Design and Analysis
Recent Advances in Clinical Trial Design and Analysis

Author: Peter F. Thall

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1461520096

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Clinical trials have two purposes -- to treat the patients in the trial, and to obtain information which increases our understanding of the disease and especially how patients respond to treatment. Statistical design provides a means to achieve both these aims, while statistical data analysis provides methods for extracting useful information from the trial data. Recent advances in statistical computing have enabled statisticians to implement very rapidly a broad array of methods which previously were either impractical or impossible. Biostatisticians are now able to provide much greater support to medical researchers working in both clinical and laboratory settings. As our collective toolkit of techniques for analyzing data has grown, it has become increasingly difficult for biostatisticians to keep up with all the developments in our own field. Recent Advances in Clinical Trial Design and Analysis brings together biostatisticians doing cutting-edge research and explains some of the more recent developments in biostatistics to clinicians and scientists who work in clinical trials.

Small Clinical Trials
Small Clinical Trials

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2001-01-01

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 0309171148

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Clinical trials are used to elucidate the most appropriate preventive, diagnostic, or treatment options for individuals with a given medical condition. Perhaps the most essential feature of a clinical trial is that it aims to use results based on a limited sample of research participants to see if the intervention is safe and effective or if it is comparable to a comparison treatment. Sample size is a crucial component of any clinical trial. A trial with a small number of research participants is more prone to variability and carries a considerable risk of failing to demonstrate the effectiveness of a given intervention when one really is present. This may occur in phase I (safety and pharmacologic profiles), II (pilot efficacy evaluation), and III (extensive assessment of safety and efficacy) trials. Although phase I and II studies may have smaller sample sizes, they usually have adequate statistical power, which is the committee's definition of a "large" trial. Sometimes a trial with eight participants may have adequate statistical power, statistical power being the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when the hypothesis is false. Small Clinical Trials assesses the current methodologies and the appropriate situations for the conduct of clinical trials with small sample sizes. This report assesses the published literature on various strategies such as (1) meta-analysis to combine disparate information from several studies including Bayesian techniques as in the confidence profile method and (2) other alternatives such as assessing therapeutic results in a single treated population (e.g., astronauts) by sequentially measuring whether the intervention is falling above or below a preestablished probability outcome range and meeting predesigned specifications as opposed to incremental improvement.

Neuroscience Trials of the Future
Neuroscience Trials of the Future

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-11-07

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 0309442583

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

On March 3-4, 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders held a workshop in Washington, DC, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss opportunities for improving the integrity, efficiency, and validity of clinical trials for nervous system disorders. Participants in the workshop represented a range of diverse perspectives, including individuals not normally associated with traditional clinical trials. The purpose of this workshop was to generate discussion about not only what is feasible now, but what may be possible with the implementation of cutting-edge technologies in the future.

The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials
The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-12-21

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 030918651X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Randomized clinical trials are the primary tool for evaluating new medical interventions. Randomization provides for a fair comparison between treatment and control groups, balancing out, on average, distributions of known and unknown factors among the participants. Unfortunately, these studies often lack a substantial percentage of data. This missing data reduces the benefit provided by the randomization and introduces potential biases in the comparison of the treatment groups. Missing data can arise for a variety of reasons, including the inability or unwillingness of participants to meet appointments for evaluation. And in some studies, some or all of data collection ceases when participants discontinue study treatment. Existing guidelines for the design and conduct of clinical trials, and the analysis of the resulting data, provide only limited advice on how to handle missing data. Thus, approaches to the analysis of data with an appreciable amount of missing values tend to be ad hoc and variable. The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials concludes that a more principled approach to design and analysis in the presence of missing data is both needed and possible. Such an approach needs to focus on two critical elements: (1) careful design and conduct to limit the amount and impact of missing data and (2) analysis that makes full use of information on all randomized participants and is based on careful attention to the assumptions about the nature of the missing data underlying estimates of treatment effects. In addition to the highest priority recommendations, the book offers more detailed recommendations on the conduct of clinical trials and techniques for analysis of trial data.

Sharing Clinical Trial Data
Sharing Clinical Trial Data

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2015-04-20

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 0309316324

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Data sharing can accelerate new discoveries by avoiding duplicative trials, stimulating new ideas for research, and enabling the maximal scientific knowledge and benefits to be gained from the efforts of clinical trial participants and investigators. At the same time, sharing clinical trial data presents risks, burdens, and challenges. These include the need to protect the privacy and honor the consent of clinical trial participants; safeguard the legitimate economic interests of sponsors; and guard against invalid secondary analyses, which could undermine trust in clinical trials or otherwise harm public health. Sharing Clinical Trial Data presents activities and strategies for the responsible sharing of clinical trial data. With the goal of increasing scientific knowledge to lead to better therapies for patients, this book identifies guiding principles and makes recommendations to maximize the benefits and minimize risks. This report offers guidance on the types of clinical trial data available at different points in the process, the points in the process at which each type of data should be shared, methods for sharing data, what groups should have access to data, and future knowledge and infrastructure needs. Responsible sharing of clinical trial data will allow other investigators to replicate published findings and carry out additional analyses, strengthen the evidence base for regulatory and clinical decisions, and increase the scientific knowledge gained from investments by the funders of clinical trials. The recommendations of Sharing Clinical Trial Data will be useful both now and well into the future as improved sharing of data leads to a stronger evidence base for treatment. This book will be of interest to stakeholders across the spectrum of research-from funders, to researchers, to journals, to physicians, and ultimately, to patients.

Statistical Aspects Of The Design And Analysis Of Clinical Trials (Revised Edition)
Statistical Aspects Of The Design And Analysis Of Clinical Trials (Revised Edition)

Author: Brian S Everitt

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2004-02-26

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 1783260777

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Fully updated, this revised edition describes the statistical aspects of both the design and analysis of trials, with particular emphasis on the more recent methods of analysis.About 8000 clinical trials are undertaken annually in all areas of medicine, from the treatment of acne to the prevention of cancer. Correct interpretation of the data from such trials depends largely on adequate design and on performing the appropriate statistical analyses. This book provides a useful guide to medical statisticians and others faced with the often difficult problems of designing and analysing clinical trials./a

A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century
A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-07-08

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 0309157870

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program has played a key role in developing new and improved cancer therapies. However, the program is falling short of its potential, and the IOM recommends changes that aim to transform the Cooperative Group Program into a dynamic system that efficiently responds to emerging scientific knowledge; involves broad cooperation of stakeholders; and leverages evolving technologies to provide high-quality, practice-changing research.

Clinical Trial Simulations
Clinical Trial Simulations

Author: Holly H. C. Kimko

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-12-09

Total Pages: 540

ISBN-13: 1441974156

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This edition includes both updates and new uses and issues concerning CTS, along with case studies of how clinical trial simulations are being applied in various therapeutic and application areas. Importantly, the book expands on the utility of CTS for informing decisions during drug development and regulatory review. Each chapter author was selected on the basis of demonstrated expertise in state-of-the-art application of CTS. The target audience for this volume includes researchers and scientists who wish to consider use of simulations in the design, analysis, or regulatory review and guidance of clinical trials. This book does not embrace all aspects of trial design, nor is it intended as a complete recipe for using computers to design trials. Rather, it is an information source that enables the reader to gain understanding of essential background and knowledge for practical applications of simulation for clinical trial design and analysis. It is assumed that the reader has a working understanding of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, modeling, pharmacometric analyses, and/or the drug development and regulatory processes.

ClinicalTrials
ClinicalTrials

Author: Curtis L. Meinert

Publisher: OUP USA

Published: 2012-03-27

Total Pages: 702

ISBN-13: 0195387880

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The classic, definitive guide to the design, conduct, and analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Envisioning a Transformed Clinical Trials Enterprise in the United States
Envisioning a Transformed Clinical Trials Enterprise in the United States

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2012-09-13

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 0309253187

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There is growing recognition that the United States' clinical trials enterprise (CTE) faces great challenges. There is a gap between what is desired - where medical care is provided solely based on high quality evidence - and the reality - where there is limited capacity to generate timely and practical evidence for drug development and to support medical treatment decisions. With the need for transforming the CTE in the U.S. becoming more pressing, the IOM Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation held a two-day workshop in November 2011, bringing together leaders in research and health care. The workshop focused on how to transform the CTE and discussed a vision to make the enterprise more efficient, effective, and fully integrated into the health care system. Key issue areas addressed at the workshop included: the development of a robust clinical trials workforce, the alignment of cultural and financial incentives for clinical trials, and the creation of a sustainable infrastructure to support a transformed CTE. This document summarizes the workshop.