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Published on: December 11, 2016
The role of adaptive trial designs in drug development
François Curtin1,2,3, Stephane Heritier4
1a Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology , University of Geneva , Geneva , Switzerland.
Introduction:
Clinical development of new drugs is a long and costly process. There is a need to find solutions which can improve and shorten this process. By introducing flexibility in to the design of clinical trials, adaptive design contributes to this improvement and allows to reach drug development decisions in a quicker way. Areas covered: We review the main methodological approaches to adaptive trial design, introducing key statistical concepts. For each phase of the clinical development, different uses and implementations of adaptive trial (AD) design are presented and examples of recent clinical trials are given. The guidance documents issued by the US and European regulatory authorities are also presented. Expert commentary: Despite inevitable challenges, prospects of this rapidly evolving approach to drug development are important. Controlling the risk of type 1 error and the potential operational risks which may be associated with adaptive trial strategy is paramount in late phase studies. However, with new methodological work, these risks are now well controlled and adaptive trial design will certainly shape the future of drug development.
Insights
Adaptive trial design offers a flexible approach to clinical trials, speeding up drug development decisions. This method enhances efficiency and is poised to shape the future of pharmaceutical research.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Clinical Trial Methodology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Drug development is lengthy and expensive.
- Adaptive trial design introduces flexibility to improve efficiency.
- Faster decision-making is crucial for new drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review adaptive trial design methodologies.
- To present statistical concepts and implementations across clinical trial phases.
- To discuss regulatory guidance and future prospects.
Main Methods:
- Review of adaptive design approaches.
- Explanation of key statistical concepts.
- Examples from recent clinical trials and regulatory documents.
Main Results:
- Adaptive trial design accelerates drug development.
- Methodological approaches and statistical concepts are detailed.
- Regulatory guidance from US and European authorities is presented.
Conclusions:
- Adaptive trial design is a rapidly evolving and important approach.
- Risks, such as type 1 error, are now well-controlled.
- Adaptive trial design will significantly influence future drug development.
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