A sequential trial design is an alternative for the classical trial design with a fixed sample size, that permits stopping a trial as soon as enough evidence for a treatment effect, or a lack thereof, is obtained. This study aimed to determine the difference in efficiency of time and patient number between a classical trial design and a sequential trial design. In this study we re-analysed a previously published classically designed clinical trial according to a sequential trial design. We subsequently determined the difference in total running time and patient number. We found that the sequential analysis offered a gain in time of 38%. We conclude that the sequential trial design may in certain situations be superior to the classical design.
Alternative trial design in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis saves time and patients.
CHDR
Groeneveld GJ, Graf M, van der Tweel I, van den Berg LH, Ludolph AC