Six-part course introduces the future of clinical research: adaptive designs

Infectious diseases are an urgent global concern, yet traditional randomised controlled trials lag behind what is needed in terms of rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. In particular, fixed trial designs cannot adapt to rapidly evolving research findings and treatments, hindering their utility in the context of an emerging pathogen.

In contrast, adaptive trial designs offer a compelling alternative where trial parameters can be modified during the trial, based on pre-specified rules, to respond to emerging research findings. This approach is central to achieving Ecraid's goal of reducing the impact of infectious diseases on individual and population health.

Training course

Adaptive clinical trial designs is a broad area of research which encompasses many different designs and implementation techniques. Co-organised by Ecraid and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), this training course will introduce the distinct types of adaptive designs and explain their advantages and limitations. Common challenges to implementing such trials in practice will also be discussed.

Speakers include world-leading experts in the field of infectious diseases, such as Ecraid CEO Marc Bonten (Utrecht, Netherlands), Lennie Derde (Utrecht, Netherlands), Thomas Jaki (Regensburg, Germany), Sarah Walker (London, UK), Chris Jennison (Bath, UK), and Sofia Villar (Cambridge, UK). 

Participation is free of charge (with a free ERS account) and doesn't require registration.

Format and content

The training consists of six two-hour online modules released every two months starting in January 2024 and ending in November 2024. Each module includes lectures about the theory of a particular adaptive trial design or technique, as well as examples of their use in practice. Featured topics include seamless trial designs and endpoint selection, group sequential designs and sample size re-estimation, response adaptive randomisation and covariate-adjusted response adaptive randomisation designs, platform trials, and more.

To bring the theory to life, the speakers will discuss examples of high-impact adaptive trials in respiratory infections and diseases, such as REMAP-CAP and RECOVERY.

Course participants will get opportunities to dig deeper and test their knowledge through Q&A and asynchronous interaction with experts and fellow participants through an online forum. CME accreditation will be provided to those who complete the exam at the end of the course.

Who is it for

Anyone with a keen interest in clinical trials in infectious diseases is invited to follow the course. Experience in clinical research and basic statistical knowledge, such as hypothesis testing and methods for traditional randomised controlled trials, are recommended.

Upon completing the course, participants will know the most relevant types of adaptive trial designs and when to use them. They should also be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type and interpret published findings.
 

For further details about the course, visit its webpage. 

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