Planning Benefit-Risk Assessments Using Visualizations

A Benefit Risk Assessment Plan (BRAP) describes the assessments planned to determine whether the benefits of an investigational drug outweigh the risks. The plan can have two sections, one with timelines for aligning resources with decision milestones and the other for pre-specifying assessments for decision milestones. Regulatory guidance recommends a proactive planning process over an ad-hoc process. However, very little has been published about proactive plans themselves. This article works through a hypothetical example visualizing a series of assessments across the drug development lifecycle. Based on a regulatory framework, the planning process starts with assessing the medical condition and current treatment options. These early assessments bring out major considerations in assessing the investigational drug.