RE: [NMusers] Minimum patients number...

Hi Ahawwa

It depends on what you want to do with the model that you develop from your
data and why you are doing PK (or PKPD) in your study.

I am not sure that there is a single solution that works well for everything
- unless the design is very intensive with lots of patients and you have an
unlimited resource budget (and ability to attract patients to studies with
intensive, invasive procedures).

I would suggest that you assess each case on its merits and determine the
effectiveness of any proposed design using either simulation linked with
estimation (which is tedious, slow, not optimal but often effective) or an
information theoretic technique (such as optimal design).

The optimal design software WinPOPT (www.winpopt.com), which is freely
available, allows you to rapidly assess the effectiveness of various designs
as well as optimize a design within your specific study constraints (e.g.
clinic visit times etc).

Good luck

Steve

--
Professor Stephen Duffull
Chair of Clinical Pharmacy
School of Pharmacy
University of Otago
PO Box 913 Dunedin
New Zealand
E: stephen.duffull_at_otago.ac.nz
P: +64 3 479 5044
F: +64 3 479 7034

Design software: www.winpopt.com
  

Received on Fri Jan 26 2007 - 16:11:10 EST