Byzantine clinical trial designs are all the rage as drug developers seek efficient ways to study new treatments for complex disease. Embracing the trend, Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) has tapped adaptive clinical trials software from technology consultancies Tessella and Berry Consultants.
The Wilmington, NC-based CRO expects the software to provide a way to more quickly design adaptive trials, which can involve altering a study based on its early findings to, for example, expand one arm of a trial or shut one down to improve odds of success. The software, called FACTS, enables study designers to perform simulations on how a study could potentially pan out, helping the CRO in its early planning.
PPD began working with Berry Consultants last year on Bayesian design and analysis used in clinical trials, and the agreement that now includes Tessella and FACTS builds on PPD's previous work on adaptive trials. Tessella, which has previously worked on adaptive trials for Wyeth--now part of Pfizer ($PFE)--developed the FACTS software with Berry Consultants.
"FACTS is a powerful tool that will enhance our ability to deliver flexible, efficient adaptive trial designs for our clients in less time than we could previously," Susan Atkinson, PPD's senior vice president of global biometrics, said in a statement. "The simulations generated by this software will help us create richer designs so that our clients can make better informed decisions about their trials."
- here's the release