The CTC's Graham Wheeler (pictured) and Helen Meadows have collaborated with staff from Leeds, Oxford, Birmingham and Glasgow CTUs to design and run a course on continuous reassessment method (CRM) phase I trials.
The CRM is a statistical approach for conducting dose-finding trials, and has been shown to improve the chances of correctly identifying the maximum tolerated dose of a new treatment when compared to traditional phase I trial designs. However, there are important differences in designing, planning, setting up and running CRM trials, something which the course looked to illustrate.
Helen, who is training lead at the CTC, said: 'The course is obviously meeting a need as the 24 places filled up quickly and several people were on the waiting list'.
Participants included clinicians, statisticians and trial managers from 14 different academic trial units and the pharmaceutical industry. CTC statistician Andre Lopes remarked: 'The course is very comprehensive and clear and explains in depth the rationale for the use of CRM. The course explained the pragmatic advantages of using CRM and provided me with skills to design phase I trials in a more efficient way'.
As a senior statistician at the CTC, Graham will be running the course Phase I Dose-Finding Trials: Practical Application of New Designs for Statisticians, which will be held at the CTC on 23-24 October 2018. Please visit this page for further details and to register your attendance.
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Further comments from attendees of the course Practicalities in Designing, Grant Funding, Setting Up and Running a Continual Reassessment Method (CRM) Dose-Finding Phase I Trial
'Very good course to focus on theory and deliverability of CRM. Definitely recommend it to PIs.' - Clinician
'The activity was fantastic. I will be referencing my memory of this for years to come when working on CRM trials. Great examples. Best bit of the day.' - Trial Manager