Adaptive designs have the potential to accelerate clinical development, and improve the probability of trial success. While the principle is simple- to reduce the uncertainty in clinical development by obtaining additional information from the ongoing trial- the statistical methodologies can be complex, and expert support is often required to conduct the clinical trial design. There's also complexity in the data collection itself, so knowledgable data management support is needed to successfully execute an innovative trial design.  In this blog, we take a look at 5 top considerations for successful adaptive trial data management. 

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Development Strategy, Clinical Data, Adaptive Clinical Trials, EDC, data manager, adaptive designs, adaptive trials

Editor's note( this blog was refreshed in April 2018)

As CDISC compliant submissions become increasingly expected, biopharmaceutical companies are considering how to approach the issue of data standards governance.  Standards governance is a lynchpin in the management of CDISC compliance and is important for promoting standards awareness within organizations. It’s also an acknowledged hot topic in the industry.

It has traditionally been common practice for biopharma companies to outsource their CDISC conversion of legacy data for the purpose of publications and submissions to expert CROs.  While large biopharma organizations may have dedicated in-house teams deployed to the management of standards governance, the dynamic nature of CDISC requirements means companies can struggle to find the resources to keep up to date and provide the best interpretation of the documentation. Outsourcing can be an option to ensure dedicated staff are available to manage and monitor these aspects and ensure companies remain submission ready.

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Statistical Programming, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM, CDISC, SDTM, ADaM, CDASH

To close a clinical database right the first time you have to begin with study start-up. Clearly, you can’t close a database if the data is not cleaned and you can’t have clean data unless you know what is most important for analysis. It’s imperative that data management works closely with the statistics group during CRF/ eCRF design to ensure data is being collected and data checks are being written in a meaningful fashion. But that’s still not enough. The data should be cleaned on a regular basis and forms locked as soon as the data has been SDVd and reviewed. Even then, it will be important to have your statistics team run listings and tables early on to catch anything unexpected. If the data is cleaned and locked by the time the last patient visit comes around then getting Principal Investigator sign-off and ultimately closing the database can run much more smoothly and quickly.

Database lock is a significant milestone in the clinical trial, upon which further data analysis and reporting timelines depend.  The Clinical Data Manager is responsible for steering the data management process to ensure that the database is locked on time, and correctly.  In this blog we lay out the 6 steps to database lock success.

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, big data

 How do you go about selecting the best Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system for your study?  There is now a vast amount of choice in the market, and many factors to take into account before making your decision.  Different stakeholders within the business may also have different perspectives, so any decision making process needs to balance these disparate needs.  

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM

At Cytel, we are very often asked to get involved in DMCs ( Data Monitoring Committees)  in a variety of capacities. Our statistical experts are recognized for their work in many of the areas related to DMCs including-group sequential and adaptive designs, multiplicity, missing data, and decision sciences.  One key operational management issue when producing analysis for DMCs  is that rules must be defined so that trial unblinding is not compromised and bias remains controlled.  In this blog, we will explore an innovative approach developed by members of our statistical programming team to improve the efficiency of this process, while maintaining the highest levels of data security. 

Topics: Clinical Research Services, Statistical Programming, Interim Analyses, Blind and Unblind Trials, Clinical Data, ACES, biostatistics, DMC

A number of the Cytel team were in Berlin 22nd- 25th May  for the PSI Annual conference.  The PSI Conference is an important forum for statisticians and we found this year's event to be energetic, technically interesting and well attended.  In this blog, we’ll summarise some of the particular highlights from the sessions that our team members attended.

Topics: Clinical Data, biostatistics, adaptive designs, adaptive trials, PSI Conference

The explosion in healthcare information and “big data “has been one of the most written about topics in the last few years. These big data in the form of electronic health records, diagnostic tests, genomics, proteomics, not to mention data from wearable devices and apps have the potential to transform healthcare.  That potential can only be realized though through the application of advanced analytics to recognize patterns from the vast information available. As such, disciplines such as pattern recognition play a pivotal role in the future of healthcare.

Topics: Bayesian Methods, Computing, Clinical Data, biostatistics, machine learning, big data, pattern recognition

 

Once upon a time Hansel and Gretel laid a trail of breadcrumbs which they followed to find their way back home.  Their story can be an allegory for the concept of traceability in clinical data where we need to  lay a clear path to ensure that the results we have created can be reproduced. This blog looks at some aspects of a presentation Lost in Traceability  by Angelo Tinazzi at the CDISC EU Interchange. 

Topics: Clinical Research Services, Statistical Programming, FDA, Clinical Data, CDISC, SDTM, ADaM, EMA, PMDA, Biometrics

Last week was the CDISC EU Interchange conference in Vienna, a key event on the calendar for Cytel’s statistical programming subject matter experts . Angelo Tinazzi, Director, Statistical Programming, Clinical Data Standards and Clinical Data Submission at Cytel co-chaired the sessions on Foundational Standards and Standards Governance alongside Astrazeneca’s Daniel Graham, and delivered a presentation on Traceability within the Foundational standards track.

In this blog, Angelo highlights some of the hot topics which emerged from the presentations he attended during the meeting. 

 

Topics: Clinical Research Services, Statistical Programming, FDA, Clinical Data, CDISC, SDTM, ADaM, EMA, PMDA, Biometrics

In this blog we’ll highlight some unique challenges that are encountered from a Data Management perspective when working on early phase Oncology trials. We’ll also discuss approaches which can be employed to mitigate these issues.  

Topics: Oncology, Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Phase 1, Clinical Data, phase 2, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM, Biometrics

During the course of any clinical trial, there are often data which, while collected electronically, are outside of the scope of the eCRF . These data include central lab results like ECGs, PK/PD data and others. In this blog we’ll take a look at some key considerations in handling electronic data transfers and any subsequent integration with the core EDC database.

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM

It's critical for biostatistics and data management to be closely aligned and working effectively together. The consequences when these biometrics teams aren't integrated can be significant-  impacting on both efficiency and data quality.  If data is collected and cleaned without the input of statistics, the assumptions which have been made may not be adequate, resulting in additional work and compromised timelines.  So, let's take a closer look at 5 important interactions between the two functions during the course of a clinical trial. 

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM, Biometrics

Remember the early days of Electronic Data Capture? Those first systems, which were revolutionary for their time featured basic data entry screens, simple edit checks and a handful of reports. 

Technology has come a long way since then, and the EDC landscape has matured dramatically along with it.  Current EDC must-haves include easy user and site management, secure automated password retrieval, robust reporting, query and SAE management, as well as Source Data Verification, and Risk based monitoring. Many sites need to be active at the same time; labs need to enter or upload data directly into the system; medical coding should be performed inside of the tool; images need to be uploaded and stored; email and text alerts sent to investigators and sponsors, and patient reported outcomes and diaries need to be available.

Counter intuitively, while EDC system functionality is becoming ever more sophisticated, the interface to build the systems is becoming easier to use and understand.

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data, EDC, database build, data manager, CDM

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Data, Risk Based Monitoring

Full service or specialized? Full service or specialized?

For many looking to hire a CRO, the answer is obvious.

Obvious Answer #1: A full service CRO simplifies your life by ensuring you need only one point of contact in stressful situations or when things appear to be going wrong. Clearly you want a full service CRO because clearly you want to keep things simple.  

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Obvious Answer #2: A specialized CRO is exactly that, specialized. It sustains itself by being extremely good at doing the thing you hired it to do, and doing it better than everyone else. Clearly you want a specialized CRO because clearly you want the best.

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The decision is difficult in part because it touches upon various crucial points of a clinical trial sponsor's strategy: top-notch knowledge and expertise, timely delivery, simple responses to unforseeable events. Your business and development strategy should ultimately affect your decision-making. 

Here are a few things you might consider to avoid making a decision that is wrong for you. 

Topics: Data Management, Clinical Research Services, Clinical Data

Topics: Dose-Finding, Early Phase Trials, Proof-of-Concept, Clinical Data, MCP-Mod