A response-adaptive randomization procedure for multi-armed clinical trials with normally distributed outcomes.

ABSTRACT: We propose a novel response-adaptive randomization procedure for multi-armed trials with continuous outcomes that are assumed to be normally distributed. Our proposed rule is non-myopic, and oriented toward a patient benefit objective, yet maintains computational feasibility. We derive our response-adaptive algorithm based on the Gittins index for the multi-armed bandit problem, as a modification of the method first introduced in Villar et al. (Biometrics, 71, pp. 969-978). The resulting procedure can be implemented under the assumption of both known or unknown variance. We illustrate the proposed procedure by simulations in the context of phase II cancer trials. Our results show that, in a multi-armed setting, there are efficiency and patient benefit gains of using a response-adaptive all

SUBMITTER: Williamson SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7078926 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature