1
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García-Hernandez A, Pérez T, Del Carmen Pardo M, Rizopoulos D. An illness-death multistate model to implement delta adjustment and reference-based imputation with time-to-event endpoints. Pharm Stat 2024; 23:219-241. [PMID: 37940608 DOI: 10.1002/pst.2348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
With a treatment policy strategy, therapies are evaluated regardless of the disturbance caused by intercurrent events (ICEs). Implementing this estimand is challenging if subjects are not followed up after the ICE. This circumstance can be dealt with using delta adjustment (DA) or reference-based (RB) imputation. In the survival field, DA and RB imputation have been researched so far using multiple imputation (MI). Here, we present a fully analytical solution. We use the illness-death multistate model with the following transitions: (a) from the initial state to the event of interest, (b) from the initial state to the ICE, and (c) from the ICE to the event. We estimate the intensity function of transitions (a) and (b) using flexible parametric survival models. Transition (c) is assumed unobserved but identifiable using DA or RB imputation assumptions. Various rules have been considered: no ICE effect, DA under proportional hazards (PH) or additive hazards (AH), jump to reference (J2R), and (either PH or AH) copy increment from reference. We obtain the marginal survival curve of interest by calculating, via numerical integration, the probability of transitioning from the initial state to the event of interest regardless of having passed or not by the ICE state. We use the delta method to obtain standard errors (SEs). Finally, we quantify the performance of the proposed estimator through simulations and compare it against MI. Our analytical solution is more efficient than MI and avoids SE misestimation-a known phenomenon associated with Rubin's variance equation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Teresa Pérez
- Facultad de Estudios Estadísticos, Univ. Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Dimitris Rizopoulos
- Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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2
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Potter LN, Yap J, Dempsey W, Wetter DW, Nahum-Shani I. Integrating Intensive Longitudinal Data (ILD) to Inform the Development of Dynamic Theories of Behavior Change and Intervention Design: a Case Study of Scientific and Practical Considerations. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:1659-1671. [PMID: 37060480 PMCID: PMC10576833 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The increasing sophistication of mobile and sensing technology has enabled the collection of intensive longitudinal data (ILD) concerning dynamic changes in an individual's state and context. ILD can be used to develop dynamic theories of behavior change which, in turn, can be used to provide a conceptual framework for the development of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) that leverage advances in mobile and sensing technology to determine when and how to intervene. As such, JITAIs hold tremendous potential in addressing major public health concerns such as cigarette smoking, which can recur and arise unexpectedly. In tandem, a growing number of studies have utilized multiple methods to collect data on a particular dynamic construct of interest from the same individual. This approach holds promise in providing investigators with a significantly more detailed view of how a behavior change processes unfold within the same individual than ever before. However, nuanced challenges relating to coarse data, noisy data, and incoherence among data sources are introduced. In this manuscript, we use a mobile health (mHealth) study on smokers motivated to quit (Break Free; R01MD010362) to illustrate these challenges. Practical approaches to integrate multiple data sources are discussed within the greater scientific context of developing dynamic theories of behavior change and JITAIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey N Potter
- Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity (Center for HOPE), Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Jamie Yap
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Walter Dempsey
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Methodologies for Adapting and Personalizing Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services for SUD and HIV (MAPS Center), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David W Wetter
- Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity (Center for HOPE), Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Inbal Nahum-Shani
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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3
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García-Hernandez A, Pérez T, Pardo MDC, Rizopoulos D. A flexible analytical framework for reference-based imputation, delta adjustment and tipping-point stress-testing. Stat Biopharm Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19466315.2022.2151506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Teresa Pérez
- Facultad de Estudios Estadísticos, Univ. Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Wolbers M, Noci A, Delmar P, Gower‐Page C, Yiu S, Bartlett JW. Standard and reference-based conditional mean imputation. Pharm Stat 2022; 21:1246-1257. [PMID: 35587109 PMCID: PMC9790242 DOI: 10.1002/pst.2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials with longitudinal outcomes typically include missing data due to missed assessments or structural missingness of outcomes after intercurrent events handled with a hypothetical strategy. Approaches based on Bayesian random multiple imputation and Rubin's rules for pooling results across multiple imputed data sets are increasingly used in order to align the analysis of these trials with the targeted estimand. We propose and justify deterministic conditional mean imputation combined with the jackknife for inference as an alternative approach. The method is applicable to imputations under a missing-at-random assumption as well as for reference-based imputation approaches. In an application and a simulation study, we demonstrate that it provides consistent treatment effect estimates with the Bayesian approach and reliable frequentist inference with accurate standard error estimation and type I error control. A further advantage of the method is that it does not rely on random sampling and is therefore replicable and unaffected by Monte Carlo error.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Wolbers
- Data and Statistical Sciences, Pharma DevelopmentRocheBaselSwitzerland
| | - Alessandro Noci
- Data and Statistical Sciences, Pharma DevelopmentRocheBaselSwitzerland
| | - Paul Delmar
- Data and Statistical Sciences, Pharma DevelopmentRocheBaselSwitzerland
| | - Craig Gower‐Page
- Data and Statistical Sciences, Pharma DevelopmentRocheBaselSwitzerland
| | - Sean Yiu
- Data and Statistical Sciences, Pharma DevelopmentRocheWelwyn Garden CityUK
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5
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Jin M, Liu R, Robieson W. Modified reference based imputation and tipping point analysis in the presence of missing data due to COVID-19. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 110:106575. [PMID: 34597836 PMCID: PMC8479366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In longitudinal clinical trials, missing data are inevitable due to intercurrent events (ICEs) such as treatment interruption or premature discontinuation for different reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial impact on clinical trials since early 2020 as it may result in missing data due to missed visits and premature discontinuations. The missing data due to COVID-19 can reasonably be assumed as missing at random (MAR). We propose a combined hypothetical strategy for sensitivity analyses to handle missing data due to both COVID-19 and non-COVID reasons. We modify the commonly used missing not at random (MNAR) methods, reference based imputation (RBI) and tipping point analysis, under this strategy. We propose the standard multiple imputation approach and derive an analytic likelihood based approach to implement the proposed methods to improve efficiency in applications. The proposed strategy and methods are applicable to a more general scenario when there are missing data due to both MAR and MNAR reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Jin
- Data and Statistical Sciences, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
| | - Ran Liu
- Data and Statistical Sciences, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Weining Robieson
- Data and Statistical Sciences, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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6
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifeng Lu
- Statistical Science, Allergan plc, Madison, NJ
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7
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Jin M, Liu G. Estimand framework: Delineating what to be estimated with clinical questions of interest in clinical trials. Contemp Clin Trials 2020; 96:106093. [PMID: 32777382 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2020.106093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
ICH (International Council for Harmonization) E9 R1 (2019) proposes a framework to define estimands in clinical trials. Although the concept of estimand was proposed previously when US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the panel report on handling missing data in clinical trials, many details including attributes and different strategies have not been developed until the recent ICH E9 (R1) addendum. A clearly defined estimand should include considerations of five attributes including patient population, treatment regimen of interest, endpoint/variables, handling of intercurrent events (IEs), and summary measures for assessing treatment effect. To evaluate the underlying treatment effects of a new investigational drug or biologic product, it is desirable to consider estimands that are aligned with the objectives of the study and that are meaningful to the stakeholders such as physicians or patients, health authority administration, and payers, etc.. In this paper, the concepts, attributes and strategies of the estimand framework will be reviewed and illustrated with clinical trial examples. Some common estimands and their associated scientific questions are discussed within a causal inference framework for longitudinal clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Jin
- AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA.
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8
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Lu K. Reference-based pattern-mixture models for analysis of longitudinal binary data. Stat Methods Med Res 2020; 29:3770-3782. [PMID: 32698670 DOI: 10.1177/0962280220941880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pattern-mixture model (PMM)-based controlled imputations have become a popular tool to assess the sensitivity of primary analysis inference to different post-dropout assumptions or to estimate treatment effectiveness. The methodology is well established for continuous responses but less well established for binary responses. In this study, we formulate the copy-reference and jump-to-reference PMMs for longitudinal binary data using a multivariate probit model with latent variables. We discuss the maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and multiple imputation methods for estimating the treatment effect under the specified PMM. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of these methods. These methods are also illustrated using data from a bipolar mania study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifeng Lu
- Statistical Science, Allergan plc, Madison, NJ, USA
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9
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A Likelihood-Based Approach for the Analysis of Longitudinal Clinical Trials with Return-to-Baseline Imputation. STATISTICS IN BIOSCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12561-020-09269-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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10
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Liu GF, Liu F, Mehrotra DV. Model Averaging Using Likelihoods That Reflect Poor Outcomes for Clinical Trial Dropouts. Stat Biopharm Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/19466315.2019.1697740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fang Liu
- Merck & Co., Inc, North Wales, PA
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11
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Jin M, Feng D, Liu G, Wan S. Two-level approaches to missing data in longitudinal trials with daily patient-reported outcomes. Stat Methods Med Res 2019; 29:1935-1949. [DOI: 10.1177/0962280219880432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In longitudinal clinical trials with daily patient-reported outcomes, the analysis endpoints are often defined as the averaged daily diary outcomes in a treatment cycle (such as a month or a week). Conventional methods often deal with missing data at the cycle level by imputing the average, and the cycle average is treated as missing if the number of days with available outcomes in the treatment cycle is less than a certain number. This was the method used for a case study of a phase 3 clinical trial evaluating a treatment for insomnia with daily patient-reported outcomes. Such methods may introduce bias. Motivated by this, we propose methods to impute missing daily outcomes in this paper. Specifically, we define a two-level missing pattern for clinical trials with daily patient-reported outcomes, and propose two-level methods to impute missing data at daily base. Other than the standard methods by multiple imputations, we derive analytic formulas for the proposed two-level methods to reduce computational intensity and improve the estimates of variances. The proposed two-level methods provide more powerful approaches to estimate the treatment difference compared to the conventional cycle-level methods, which are evaluated by theoretical development and simulation studies. In addition, the methods are applied to the motivating phase 3 trial evaluating a treatment for insomnia with daily patient-reported outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Jin
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Dai Feng
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Guanghan Liu
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., North Wales, PA, USA
| | - Shuyan Wan
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., North Wales, PA, USA
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12
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Tang Y. A monotone data augmentation algorithm for longitudinal data analysis via multivariate skew-t, skew-normal or t distributions. Stat Methods Med Res 2019; 29:1542-1562. [PMID: 31389300 DOI: 10.1177/0962280219865579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The mixed effects model for repeated measures has been widely used for the analysis of longitudinal clinical data collected at a number of fixed time points. We propose a robust extension of the mixed effects model for repeated measures for skewed and heavy-tailed data on basis of the multivariate skew-t distribution, and it includes the multivariate normal, t, and skew-normal distributions as special cases. An efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is developed using the monotone data augmentation and parameter expansion techniques. We employ the algorithm to perform controlled pattern imputations for sensitivity analyses of longitudinal clinical trials with nonignorable dropouts. The proposed methods are illustrated by real data analyses. Sample SAS programs for the analyses are provided in the online supplementary material.
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13
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Ek A, Chamberlain KL, Sorjonen K, Hammar U, Malek ME, Sandvik P, Somaraki M, Nyman J, Lindberg L, Nordin K, Ejderhamn J, Fisher PA, Chamberlain P, Marcus C, Nowicka P. A Parent Treatment Program for Preschoolers With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics 2019; 144:peds.2018-3457. [PMID: 31300528 PMCID: PMC8853645 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Early obesity treatment seems to be the most effective, but few treatments exist. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of a parent-only treatment program with and without booster sessions (Booster or No Booster) focusing on parenting practices and standard treatment (ST). METHODS Families of children 4 to 6 years of age with obesity were recruited from 68 child care centers in Stockholm County and randomly assigned to a parent-only program (10 weeks) with or without boosters (9 months) or to ST. Treatment effects on primary outcomes (BMI z score) and secondary outcomes (BMI and waist circumference) during a 12-month period were examined with linear mixed models. The influence of sociodemographic factors was examined by 3-way interactions. The clinically significant change in BMI z score (-0.5) was assessed with risk ratios. RESULTS A total of 174 children (mean age: 5.3 years [SD = 0.8]; BMI z score: 3.0 [SD = 0.6], 56% girls) and their parents (60% foreign background; 39% university degree) were included in the analysis (Booster, n = 44; No Booster, n = 43; ST, n = 87). After 12 months, children in the parent-only treatment had a greater reduction in their BMI z score (0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.45 to -0.15) compared with ST (0.07; 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.05). Comparing all 3 groups, improvements in weight status were only seen for the Booster group (-0.54; 95% CI: -0.77 to -0.30). The Booster group was 4.8 times (95% CI: 2.4 to 9.6) more likely to reach a clinically significant reduction of ≥0.5 of the BMI z score compared with ST. CONCLUSION A parent-only treatment with boosters outperformed standard care for obesity in preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ek
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology,
| | | | - Kimmo Sorjonen
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Ulf Hammar
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden,Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Departments of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mahnoush Etminan Malek
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden,Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Sandvik
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden,Food Studies, Nutrition, and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Somaraki
- Food Studies, Nutrition, and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonna Nyman
- Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Louise Lindberg
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Nordin
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Ejderhamn
- Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philip A. Fisher
- Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, Oregon,Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | | | - Claude Marcus
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paulina Nowicka
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden,Food Studies, Nutrition, and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Tang Y. A monotone data augmentation algorithm for multivariate nonnormal data: With applications to controlled imputations for longitudinal trials. Stat Med 2019; 38:1715-1733. [PMID: 30565281 DOI: 10.1002/sim.8062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
An efficient monotone data augmentation (MDA) algorithm is proposed for missing data imputation for incomplete multivariate nonnormal data that may contain variables of different types and are modeled by a sequence of regression models including the linear, binary logistic, multinomial logistic, proportional odds, Poisson, negative binomial, skew-normal, skew-t regressions, or a mixture of these models. The MDA algorithm is applied to the sensitivity analyses of longitudinal trials with nonignorable dropout using the controlled pattern imputations that assume the treatment effect reduces or disappears after subjects in the experimental arm discontinue the treatment. We also describe a heuristic approach to implement the controlled imputation, in which the fully conditional specification method is used to impute the intermediate missing data to create a monotone missing pattern, and the missing data after dropout are then imputed according to the assumed nonignorable mechanisms. The proposed methods are illustrated by simulation and real data analyses. Sample SAS code for the analyses is provided in the supporting information.
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15
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Mallinckrodt CH, Bell J, Liu G, Ratitch B, O’Kelly M, Lipkovich I, Singh P, Xu L, Molenberghs G. Aligning Estimators With Estimands in Clinical Trials: Putting the ICH E9(R1) Guidelines Into Practice. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/2168479019836979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Bell
- Elderbrook Solutions GmbH, High Wycombe, United Kingdom
| | - G. Liu
- Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - L. Xu
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, USA
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16
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Mehrotra DV, Liu F, Permutt T. Missing data in clinical trials: control-based mean imputation and sensitivity analysis. Pharm Stat 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/pst.1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fang Liu
- Clinical Biostatistics; Merck & Co., Inc.; North Wales PA USA
| | - Thomas Permutt
- Office of Biostatistics; Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA; Silver Spring MD USA
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17
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Liu GF, Pang L. Control-Based Imputation and Delta-Adjustment Stress Test for Missing Data Analysis in Longitudinal Clinical Trials. Stat Biopharm Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/19466315.2016.1256830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lei Pang
- Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, PA
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18
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Tang Y. On the multiple imputation variance estimator for control-based and delta-adjusted pattern mixture models. Biometrics 2017; 73:1379-1387. [PMID: 28407203 DOI: 10.1111/biom.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Control-based pattern mixture models (PMM) and delta-adjusted PMMs are commonly used as sensitivity analyses in clinical trials with non-ignorable dropout. These PMMs assume that the statistical behavior of outcomes varies by pattern in the experimental arm in the imputation procedure, but the imputed data are typically analyzed by a standard method such as the primary analysis model. In the multiple imputation (MI) inference, Rubin's variance estimator is generally biased when the imputation and analysis models are uncongenial. One objective of the article is to quantify the bias of Rubin's variance estimator in the control-based and delta-adjusted PMMs for longitudinal continuous outcomes. These PMMs assume the same observed data distribution as the mixed effects model for repeated measures (MMRM). We derive analytic expressions for the MI treatment effect estimator and the associated Rubin's variance in these PMMs and MMRM as functions of the maximum likelihood estimator from the MMRM analysis and the observed proportion of subjects in each dropout pattern when the number of imputations is infinite. The asymptotic bias is generally small or negligible in the delta-adjusted PMM, but can be sizable in the control-based PMM. This indicates that the inference based on Rubin's rule is approximately valid in the delta-adjusted PMM. A simple variance estimator is proposed to ensure asymptotically valid MI inferences in these PMMs, and compared with the bootstrap variance. The proposed method is illustrated by the analysis of an antidepressant trial, and its performance is further evaluated via a simulation study.
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19
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Tang Y. An Efficient Multiple Imputation Algorithm for Control-Based and Delta-Adjusted Pattern Mixture Models using SAS. Stat Biopharm Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/19466315.2016.1225595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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20
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Tang Y. Closed-form REML estimators and sample size determination for mixed effects models for repeated measures under monotone missingness. Stat Med 2017; 36:2135-2147. [DOI: 10.1002/sim.7270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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21
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Gao F, Liu G, Zeng D, Diao G, Heyse JF, Ibrahim JG. On inference of control-based imputation for analysis of repeated binary outcomes with missing data. J Biopharm Stat 2017; 27:358-372. [PMID: 28287873 DOI: 10.1080/10543406.2017.1289957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Missing data are common in longitudinal clinical trials. How to handle missing data is critical for both sponsors and regulatory agencies to assess treatment effect from the trials. Recently, a control-based imputation has been proposed, where the missing data are imputed based on the assumption that patients who discontinued the test drug will have a similar response profile to the patients in the control group. Under control-based imputation, the variance estimation may be biased using Rubin's formula which could produce biased statistical inferences. We evaluate several statistical methods for obtaining appropriate variances under control-based imputation for analysis of repeated binary outcomes with monotone missing data and show that both the analytical method developed by Robins & Wang and the nonparametric bootstrap method provide more appropriate variance estimates under various simulation settings. We use the methods in an application of an antidepressant Phase III clinical trial and give discussion and recommendations on method performance and preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gao
- a Department of Biostatistics , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA
| | - Guanghan Liu
- b Merck & Co., Inc. , Whitehouse Station , New Jersey , USA
| | - Donglin Zeng
- a Department of Biostatistics , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA
| | - Guoqing Diao
- c Department of Statistics , George Mason University , Fairfax , Virginia , USA
| | - Joseph F Heyse
- b Merck & Co., Inc. , Whitehouse Station , New Jersey , USA
| | - Joseph G Ibrahim
- a Department of Biostatistics , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.,d Department of Biostatistics , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA
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22
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Fletcher C, Tsuchiya S, Mehrotra DV. Current Practices in Choosing Estimands and Sensitivity Analyses in Clinical Trials: Results of the ICH E9 Survey. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2017; 51:69-76. [PMID: 30236003 DOI: 10.1177/2168479016666586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An addendum to the International Conference on Harmonisation E9 (ICH E9) guidance document (Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials) is currently under development. The aim of the addendum is to promote harmonized standards on the choice of estimand (a well-defined measure of the treatment effect that is being estimated) in clinical trials and to describe a consensual framework for planning, conducting, and interpreting sensitivity analyses of clinical trial data. METHODS In order to help understand current practices relating to the choice of estimands and sensitivity analyses for clinical trials, the ICH E9 working group developing the addendum conducted a survey with a primary focus on clinical trials involving drugs, vaccines, and biologics. The survey was distributed electronically between May 19, 2015, and June 11, 2015, to various stakeholder groups within ICH, including industry, regulatory, and academic communities. A total of 1305 respondents participated. RESULTS Of the 1305 respondents 547 (42%), 344 (26%) and 283 (22%) were from Europe, USA and Japan respectively. Over half of the respondents work in pharmaceutical companies, and approximately a quarter of respondents noted oncology as the primary therapeutic area they work in. Over half of the respondents (595, 55%) noted the treatment effect being estimated was 'in the entire target population of patients regardless of whether they will take treatment as instructed'. The most common methods for handling missing data in primary analyses were mixed-models repeated measures (555, 56% respondents) and last observation carried forward (549, 55% respondents). The majority of respondents (816, 83%) noted they conducted sensitivity analyses to estimate treatment effects in different ways compared to the primary analysis by using alternative assumptions (627, 78%) and/or using alternative statistical methods (616, 76%). CONCLUSIONS The survey results have provided useful information to the ICH E9 working group on current practices on the choice of primary estimands for measuring treatment effects in confirmatory clinical trials, and approaches used to select sensitivity analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fletcher
- 1 Amgen Ltd, Cambridge, UK.,2 Clinical Development Expert Group, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Tsuchiya
- 3 Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd, Tokyo, Japan.,4 Drug Evaluation Committee, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Tokyo, Japan
| | - D V Mehrotra
- 5 Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, PA, USA
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Mallinckrodt C, Molenberghs G, Rathmann S. Choosing estimands in clinical trials with missing data. Pharm Stat 2016; 16:29-36. [DOI: 10.1002/pst.1765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Geert Molenberghs
- I-BioStat; Hasselt University; Diepenbeek Belgium
- I-BioStat; Katholieke Universiteit; Leuven Belgium
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24
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Tang Y. An efficient monotone data augmentation algorithm for multiple imputation in a class of pattern mixture models. J Biopharm Stat 2016; 27:620-638. [DOI: 10.1080/10543406.2016.1167075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Tang
- Department of Biostatistics and Statistical Programming, Shire, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
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25
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Liu GF, Han B, Zhao X, Lin Q. A Comparison of Frequentist and Bayesian Model Based Approaches for Missing Data Analysis: Case Study with a Schizophrenia Clinical Trial. Stat Biopharm Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/19466315.2015.1077725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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26
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Liu GF, Pang L. On analysis of longitudinal clinical trials with missing data using reference-based imputation. J Biopharm Stat 2016; 26:924-36. [DOI: 10.1080/10543406.2015.1094810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Frank Liu
- Late Development Clinical Biostatistics, Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lei Pang
- Late Development Clinical Biostatistics, Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, Pennsylvania, USA
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27
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Tang Y. An efficient monotone data augmentation algorithm for Bayesian analysis of incomplete longitudinal data. Stat Probab Lett 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.spl.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Tang Y. Short notes on maximum likelihood inference for control-based pattern-mixture models. Pharm Stat 2015; 14:395-9. [DOI: 10.1002/pst.1698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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29
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Carpenter JR, Roger JH, Cro S, Kenward MG. Response to Comments by Seaman et al. on “Analysis of Longitudinal Trials With Protocol Deviation: A Framework for Relevant, Accessible Assumptions, and Inference via Multiple Imputation,” Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics 23:1352–1371. J Biopharm Stat 2014; 24:1363-9. [DOI: 10.1080/10543406.2014.960085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. R. Carpenter
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Kingsway, London, United Kingdom
| | - J. H. Roger
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - S. Cro
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, Kingsway, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. G. Kenward
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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30
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Browne LH, Graham PH. Good intentions and ICH-GCP: Trial conduct training needs to go beyond the ICH-GCP document and include the intention-to-treat principle. Clin Trials 2014; 11:629-34. [PMID: 25023199 DOI: 10.1177/1740774514542620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is assumed investigators and statisticians fully understand the importance of avoiding missing outcomes and the intention-to-treat principle during design and analysis phases of a randomised controlled trial in order to obtain the most valuable and reliable results. However, many personnel undertaking day-to-day trial conduct and data collection commonly rely exclusively for guidance on the widely implemented, indeed regulated, International Conference on Harmonisation-Good Clinical Practice document as the guideline and standard for trial conduct. PURPOSE This article describes adverse consequences of omission of intention-to-treat principles from training for trial personnel and explores the need for training in addition to the International Conference on Harmonisation-Good Clinical Practice guideline document. METHODS Data from the Breast Boost Study were used to illustrate a comparison of actual results, where vigilant senior investigators re-enforced intention-to-treat requirements throughout all aspects of trial conduct with results that could easily have occurred if study personnel did not understand the importance of intention-to-treat principles. Experience as a co-ordinating centre for an international trial (Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 08.06 Breast STARS) acted as an audit of data-management culture regarding intention-to-treat in Australia and New Zealand. RESULTS Despite the Breast Boost Study exceeding planned accrual, it was demonstrated that the study, which found a statistically significant result, could have reported a negative or inconclusive result under the scenario of trial conduct personnel having lack of understanding of the importance of avoiding losses to follow-up. Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology 08.06 co-ordination experience verified that data-management culture in Australia and New Zealand does not adequately recognise intention-to-treat principles, and this is reflected in trial conduct. LIMITATIONS Trial data described are limited to two trials and in the Australian and New Zealand setting. CONCLUSION To be both scientifically and ethically valid, guidelines for trial conduct should include and stress the importance of the intention-to-treat principle and in particular avoiding missing outcomes. Our discussion highlights the vitally important role played by personnel involved in day-to-day trial conduct. Inclusion of scientific principles in guideline documents and/or training which goes beyond International Conference on Harmonisation-Good Clinical Practice to include intention-to-treat is essential to achieve robust research results. Related aspects of randomised trial consent and ethics are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lois H Browne
- Clinical Trials Unit, Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter H Graham
- Clinical Trials Unit, Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia
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31
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Keene ON, Roger JH, Hartley BF, Kenward MG. Missing data sensitivity analysis for recurrent event data using controlled imputation. Pharm Stat 2014; 13:258-64. [PMID: 24931317 DOI: 10.1002/pst.1624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Statistical analyses of recurrent event data have typically been based on the missing at random assumption. One implication of this is that, if data are collected only when patients are on their randomized treatment, the resulting de jure estimator of treatment effect corresponds to the situation in which the patients adhere to this regime throughout the study. For confirmatory analysis of clinical trials, sensitivity analyses are required to investigate alternative de facto estimands that depart from this assumption. Recent publications have described the use of multiple imputation methods based on pattern mixture models for continuous outcomes, where imputation for the missing data for one treatment arm (e.g. the active arm) is based on the statistical behaviour of outcomes in another arm (e.g. the placebo arm). This has been referred to as controlled imputation or reference-based imputation. In this paper, we use the negative multinomial distribution to apply this approach to analyses of recurrent events and other similar outcomes. The methods are illustrated by a trial in severe asthma where the primary endpoint was rate of exacerbations and the primary analysis was based on the negative binomial model.
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