daryazyatina
☆    

Ukraine,
2017-08-03 11:34
(2429 d 03:18 ago)

Posting: # 17646
Views: 20,285
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies [Power / Sample Size]

Hi, guys!

Today I have a new question related to the the sample size formula for average bioequivalence.

Before now I сalculated the sample size for ABE by formula:
[image]
(described in the book Shein-Chung Chow, Jun Shao and Hansheng Wang "Sample size calculations in clinical research" Copyright © 2003 by Marcel Dekker (Chapter 10. Bioequivalence Testing) http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/book/10.1201/9780203911341)

I decided to try to calculate the sample size in R with package "PowerTOST" and function sampleN.TOST()

Comparing the results of the calculation in R and calculation with formula Shein-Chung Chow, Jun Shao and Hansheng Wang, I realized that they are different. I looked at the articles and books that this function refers to, and understand that different formulas are used.

On this basis, I had a question. What formula should I use to calculate the sample size for the ABE using two one-sided tests?
BE-proff
●    

2017-08-03 11:55
(2429 d 02:57 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17647
Views: 18,692
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi darya,

Results must be different because PowerTOST uses iterative method for calculation.

AFAIK, PowerTOST is used worldwide and no claims from regulators have been received.
daryazyatina
☆    

Ukraine,
2017-08-03 12:08
(2429 d 02:44 ago)

@ BE-proff
Posting: # 17648
Views: 18,642
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi, BE-proff. Thank you for your answer.

❝ Results must be different because PowerTOST uses iterative method for calculation.


Have you looked at the formula what I used? There is also used an iterative method.

❝ AFAIK, PowerTOST is used worldwide and no claims from regulators have been received.


It's good. But I asked another question.
I used formula from book:

❝ ❝ Shein-Chung Chow, Jun Shao and Hansheng Wang "Sample size calculations in clinical research" Copyright © 2003 by Marcel Dekker (Chapter 10. Bioequivalence Testing)


and also any claims from regulators have not been received.
ElMaestro
★★★

Denmark,
2017-08-03 12:17
(2429 d 02:35 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17649
Views: 18,688
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi Daryazyatina,

❝ I decided to try to calculate the sample size in R with package "PowerTOST" and function sampleN.TOST()


Good choice :-D

❝ Comparing the results of the calculation in R and calculation with formula Shein-Chung Chow, Jun Shao and Hansheng Wang, I realized that they are different. I looked at the articles and books that this function refers to, and understand that different formulas are used.


Can you tell what your design is and which values you want to plug in for the calculation? If the difference is 2 or 4 subjects, then so be it, subtle differences in approximation may account for that. If the difference is 46 or something then I'd wonder, too. I am sure there is an explanation and that your confidence in the powerTOST package can easily be restored. Apart from that you are of course right if you intended to hint that the author of the power.TOST family of R functions is a dubious character :lol::yes::-D

Pass or fail!
ElMaestro
daryazyatina
☆    

Ukraine,
2017-08-03 12:58
(2429 d 01:54 ago)

@ ElMaestro
Posting: # 17650
Views: 18,733
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi ElMaestro,

❝ Good choice :-D


Thank you

❝ Can you tell what your design is and which values you want to plug in for the calculation? If the difference is 2 or 4 subjects, then so be it, subtle differences in approximation may account for that. If the difference is 46 or something then I'd wonder, too. I am sure there is an explanation and that your confidence in the powerTOST package can easily be restored.


For comparison, I use all the standard properties. Design 2x2, confidence intervals 0.8 - 1.25, power 0.8, alpha 0.05.
The only thing about what I'm not sure is CV. Because in formula that I used this is intra-subject variability, but in PowerTOST() this is coefficient of variation as ratio. In calculations in both cases I used СV - 0.3.

And this is results from sampleN.TOST()
sampleN.TOST(logscale = TRUE, CV = 0.3, details = TRUE)
+++++++++++ Equivalence test - TOST +++++++++++
            Sample size estimation
-----------------------------------------------
Study design:  2x2 crossover
log-transformed data (multiplicative model)

alpha = 0.05, target power = 0.8
BE margins = 0.8 ... 1.25
True ratio = 0.95,  CV = 0.3

Sample size (total)
 n     power
40   0.815845

The sample size by the formula I used:

n=28

❝ Apart from that you are of course right if you intended to hint that the author of the power.TOST family of R functions is a dubious character.


:-D:-D:-D
DavidManteigas
★    

Portugal,
2017-08-03 14:40
(2429 d 00:12 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17651
Views: 18,825
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi daryazyatina,

For some reason, I can't see the image with the formula that you put on the first post.

❝ For comparison, I use all the standard properties. Design 2x2, confidence intervals 0.8 - 1.25, power 0.8, alpha 0.05.

❝ The only thing about what I'm not sure is CV. Because in formula that I used this is intra-subject variability, but in PowerTOST() this is coefficient of variation as ratio. In calculations in both cases I used СV - 0.3.


Within subject standard deviation and within subject CV are different parameters. Nevertheless, I think that this is not the only reason for such a big difference.

There is a sentence in one of the articles that is quoted on SampleNTOST formula that may clarify this issue:

"This formula is less conservative than Formula (5), but it may result in a lower actual power than the required. For example, when α = 0.05, σ = 0.3, Δ = 0.2, θ = 0.01 and a required power = 0.80, the sample size from Formula (6) [Formula from Chow] is 17 per sequence, but the actual power obtained by this sample size is only 0.69."

So by reading this, I am not sure if Chow formula might be appropriate to calculate sample size for BABE trials. I have just quickly read the article, so I may not be doing a proper analysis. Perhaps dlabes might clarify this, since he is the master that we all should thank for the amazing PowerTOST package :-D
daryazyatina
☆    

Ukraine,
2017-08-03 15:46
(2428 d 23:05 ago)

@ DavidManteigas
Posting: # 17652
Views: 18,578
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hi, DavidManteigas

❝ For some reason, I can't see the image with the formula that you put on the first post.


Look again at the picture with formula. At first it was not visible, now you can see it.

❝ Within subject standard deviation and within subject CV are different parameters. Nevertheless, I think that this is not the only reason for such a big difference.


I did not write anything about the standard deviation.

❝ "This formula is less conservative than Formula (5), but it may result in a lower actual power than the required. For example, when α = 0.05, σ = 0.3, Δ = 0.2, θ = 0.01 and a required power = 0.80, the sample size from Formula (6) [Formula from Chow] is 17 per sequence, but the actual power obtained by this sample size is only 0.69."


If you looked at the formula I use, you would see in the article that this is another formula Chow. And that's why I do not understand what formula should be used.

❝ So by reading this, I am not sure if Chow formula might be appropriate to calculate sample size for BABE trials. I have just quickly read the article, so I may not be doing a proper analysis. Perhaps dlabes might clarify this, since he is the master that we all should thank for the amazing PowerTOST package :-D


I want to understand how to do it right, just this.;-)
Helmut
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2017-08-03 17:37
(2428 d 21:15 ago)

@ DavidManteigas
Posting: # 17653
Views: 18,877
 

 Don’t use the formula by Chow, Shao, Wang!

Hi David & Darya,

❝ For some reason, I can't see the image with the formula that you put on the first post.


I uploaded a copy. Should be visible by now.

❝ ❝ The only thing about what I'm not sure is CV. Because in formula that I used this is intra-subject variability, but in PowerTOST() this is coefficient of variation as ratio. In calculations in both cases I used СV - 0.3.


❝ Within subject standard deviation and within subject CV are different parameters. Nevertheless, I think that this is not the only reason for such a big difference.


Chow used the standard deviation, whilst in Power.TOST the CV (fraction, not in %!) is used. However, no big difference since \(CV_w = \sqrt{e^{s_{w}^{2}} - 1}\) and the other way ’round \(s_w = \sqrt{\log{(CV_{w}^{2}) + 1}}\). In Power.TOST for convenience you can use se2CV(foo) for the former and CV2se(foo) for the latter.

❝ There is a sentence in one of the articles that is quoted on SampleNTOST formula that may clarify this issue: […]


❝ So by reading this, I am not sure if Chow formula might be appropriate to calculate sample size for BABE trials.


[image]I think it’s crap. The formula Darya posted (10.2.6) of p.259 of the book gives the impression that n is the total sample size. The text continues with:

Since the above equations do not have an explicit solution, for convenience, for a 2 × 2 crossover design, the total sample size needed to achieve a power of 80% or 90% at 5% level of significance with various combinations of ε and δ is given in Table 10.2.1.

However, in the example which follows on p.260 we read:

By referring to Table 10.2.1, a total of 24 subjects per sequence is needed in order to achieve an 80% power at the 5% level of significance.

(my emphases)

❝ […] Perhaps dlabes might clarify this, since he is the master that we all should thank for the amazing PowerTOST package :-D


Detlew is on vacation. Some clarifications:

Zhang1
(5) where n = sample size per sequence
[image]
(9) with a correction term c
[image]

Hauschke et al.2
[image]

Chow & Liu (5.4.10)3
[image]


Using the formulas of Zhang or Chow & Liu, you get the sample size / sequence. To obtain the total, multiply by 2, which is already done it the right-hand side of Hauschke’s formulas.

Comparison with the references:
Table 2, untransformed data, 90% Power, Δ 0.2, σ 0.3, ∕θ 0.05 (p.5371): 37 / sequence

library(PowerTOST)
sampleN.TOST(CV=se2CV(0.3), theta0=0.05, theta1=-0.2, theta2=0.2,
             logscale=FALSE, targetpower=0.90,
             print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]/2
[1] 37
[image]


Table 5.4.1, untransformed data, 80% Power, Δ 0.2μR, α 0.05 (p.1583): 52

library(PowerTOST)
sampleN.TOST(CV=0.30, theta0=0.05, theta1=-0.2, theta2=0.2,
             logscale=FALSE, targetpower=0.80,
             print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]
[1] 52
[image]


Table 5.1, log-transformed data, 80% Power, (θ1, 1∕θ1) = (0.80, 1.25), θ 0.95, α 0.05 (p.1132): 40

library(PowerTOST)
sampleN.TOST(CV=0.30, theta0=0.95, theta1=0.8, theta2=1.25,
             targetpower=0.80,
             print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]
[1] 40
[image]


Stop using the formula given by Chow, Shao, Wang! Sample sizes are way too small – which compromises power. If you used it in the past for 80% power – if all assumptions (CV, θ0) turned out to be “correct” – substantially more than 20% of studies should have failed. If not, you were lucky!


  1. Zhang P. A Simple Formula for Sample Size Calculation in Equivalence Studies. J Biopharm Stat. 2003;13(3):529-38. doi:10.1081/BIP-120022772
  2. Hauschke D, Steinijans V, Pigeot I. Bioequivalence Studies in Drug Development. Chichester: John Wiley; 2007. p.116. doi:10.1002/9780470094778
  3. Chow S-C Liu J-p. Design and Analysis of Bioavailability and Bioequivalence Studies.
    Boca Raton: Chapman & Hall/CRC Press; 3rd ed. 2009. p.157. doi:10.1201/9781420011678

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daryazyatina
☆    

Ukraine,
2017-08-03 17:52
(2428 d 21:00 ago)

@ Helmut
Posting: # 17654
Views: 18,549
 

 Don’t use the formula by Chow, Shao, Wang!

Hi, Helmut

❝ Stop using the formula given by Chow, Shao, Wang! Sample sizes are way too small – which compromises power. If you used it in the past for 80% power – if all assumptions (CV, θ0) turned out to be “correct” – substantially more than 20% of studies should have failed. If not, you were lucky!


Thank you for such a comprehensive answer.
It's good that now we will know about this.
DavidManteigas
★    

Portugal,
2017-08-03 18:12
(2428 d 20:39 ago)

@ Helmut
Posting: # 17657
Views: 18,553
 

 Don’t use the formula by Chow, Shao, Wang!

Thank you for the clarification Helmut, very helpful as always.

In the example you've mentioned on page 260 there is also another mistake, since z0.10 is 1.28 and not 0.84, so according to the reduced formula, 28 subjects per sequence would be necessary and not the reported 21. Still, significantly lower than the sample obtained with sampleNTOST.
Helmut
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2017-08-03 18:33
(2428 d 20:19 ago)

@ DavidManteigas
Posting: # 17658
Views: 18,757
 

 Don’t use the formula by Chow, Shao, Wang!

Hi David,

❝ […] on page 260 there is also another mistake, since z0.10 is 1.28 and not 0.84, so according to the reduced formula, 28 subjects per sequence would be necessary and not the reported 21.


Yep, I noticed that as well. :-D
BTW, z0.05 is 1.64 and not 1.96. In all its “beauty”:

delta    <- log(1.25)
epsilon  <- 0.05
sigma1.1 <- 0.40
z.05     <- qnorm(0.05, lower.tail=FALSE)
z.10     <- qnorm(0.10, lower.tail=FALSE)
(z.05+z.10)^2*sigma1.1^2/(2*(delta-epsilon)^2)
[1] 22.85316


Of course, PowerTOST contains the large sample approximation based on z as well (by an internal and hence, undocumented) function.

library(PowerTOST)
CV <- seq(0.15, 0.8, 0.025)
n  <- data.frame(CV=CV, exact=rep(NA, length(CV)),
                 nc.t=rep(NA, length(CV)),
                 shifted.t=rep(NA, length(CV)),
                 normal=rep(NA, length(CV)),
                 row.names=NULL)
for (j in seq_along(CV)) {
  # exact method (Owen's Q)
  n[j, 2] <- sampleN.TOST(CV=CV[j], theta0=0.95, theta1=0.8,
                          theta2=1.25, targetpower=0.8,
                          method="exact", print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]
  # approximation by the noncentral t-distribution
  n[j, 3] <- sampleN.TOST(CV=CV[j], theta0=0.95, theta1=0.8,
                          theta2=1.25, targetpower=0.8,
                          method="nct", print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]
  # approximation by the shifted central t-distribution
  n[j, 4] <- sampleN.TOST(CV=CV[j], theta0=0.95, theta1=0.8,
                          theta2=1.25, targetpower=0.8,
                          method="shifted",
                          print=FALSE)[["Sample size"]]
  # (large sample) approximation by the normal distribution
  n[j, 5] <- PowerTOST:::.sampleN0(se=CV2se(CV[j]), diffm=log(0.95),
                                   ltheta1=log(0.8), ltheta2=log(1.25),
                                   targetpower=0.8)
}
print(n, row.names=FALSE)

Gives:

    CV exact nc.t shifted.t normal
 0.150    12   12        12     10
 0.175    16   16        16     12
 0.200    20   20        20     16
 0.225    24   24        24     20
 0.250    28   28        28     26
 0.275    34   34        34     30
 0.300    40   40        40     36
 0.325    46   46        46     42
 0.350    52   52        52     48
 0.375    58   58        60     56
 0.400    66   66        66     62
 0.425    74   74        74     70
 0.450    82   82        82     78
 0.475    90   90        90     86
 0.500    98   98        98     94
 0.525   106  106       108    102
 0.550   116  116       116    110
 0.575   126  126       126    120
 0.600   134  134       134    128
 0.625   144  144       144    138
 0.650   154  154       154    148
 0.675   164  164       164    158
 0.700   174  174       174    166
 0.725   184  184       184    176
 0.750   194  194       194    186
 0.775   204  204       204    196
 0.800   214  214       216    208


[image]The approximation by the noncentral t-distribution does an excellent job. That’s why we’ve set it as the default in package Power2Stage for speed reasons (~40 times faster than Owen’s Q).
The shifted central t is also good. Only in a few cases higher sample sizes. Conservative, no worries.
The large sample size approximation sucks. Always smaller sample sizes than with the other methods, power compromised – unless one dares to submit a study evaluated by z. ;-)

Quoting from a conversation with an eminent regulator of the Iberian Peninsula:

“Frankly between z and t methods the difference is ridiculous when variability is not large and later a few subjects is added to compensate drop-outs. I do not see any problem in using z-method. I use it because it is very straight­forward in Excel and there is no need to have special software.”

Well, cough…


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d_labes
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Berlin, Germany,
2017-08-16 18:01
(2415 d 20:51 ago)

@ Helmut
Posting: # 17694
Views: 18,045
 

 Don’t use the Book by Chow, Shao, Wang!

Hi all!

In addition to all what was said up to now:
Don’t use the Book by Chow, Shao, Wang!

It's full of errors, full of a terminology not compatible to other publications so that one has no chance to compare.
(F.i. what are epsilon, delta, sigma1.1 compared to our use of theta0, upper or lower BE limit, intra-subject CV. No one knows! To cite our ol'Sailor "garbage in, garbage out, It's that simple.")

Regards,

Detlew
Helmut
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2017-08-03 18:04
(2428 d 20:48 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17655
Views: 18,625
 

 compromised power

Hi Darya,

❝ The sample size by the formula I used:

❝ n=28


To keep everything equal you should convert the standard deviation to the CV. Hence,

library(PowerTOST)
sampleN.TOST(CV=se2CV(0.3))

+++++++++++ Equivalence test - TOST +++++++++++
            Sample size estimation
-----------------------------------------------
Study design:  2x2 crossover
log-transformed data (multiplicative model)

alpha = 0.05, target power = 0.8
BE margins = 0.8 ... 1.25
True ratio = 0.95,  CV = 0.3068783

Sample size (total)
 n     power
42   0.818541


Of course higher than the 28 by the dubious formula. As David mentioned above (quoting Zhang’s paper) power is compromised. Let’s check how much:

power.TOST(CV=se2CV(0.3), n=28)
[1] 0.6250166

Oops!

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daryazyatina
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Ukraine,
2017-08-04 10:15
(2428 d 04:37 ago)

@ Helmut
Posting: # 17663
Views: 18,417
 

 compromised power

Hi Helmut,

❝ To keep everything equal you should convert the standard deviation to the CV. Hence,

se2CV(0.3)


You are wrote about converting the standard deviation to СV, but use the formula to convert the standard error to СV. I thought that the standard deviation and standard error are different parameters. Maybe I'm wrong.
Helmut
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Vienna, Austria,
2017-08-04 14:41
(2428 d 00:11 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17664
Views: 18,504
 

 terminology

Hi Darya,

❝ You are wrote about converting the standard deviation to СV, but use the formula to convert the standard error to СV. I thought that the standard deviation and standard error are different parameters.


Like in this thread it is a question of terminology; see this thread for details.
In PowerTOST type ?se2CV to get the formulas for conversion. If you want a second opinion:1

[image]


Nitpick: Chaos everywhere. We have only sw – which is the estimate of the unknown σw
BTW, when it comes to reference-scaling, both the EMA and the FDA correctly use swR. Since scaling is based on the unknown parameters, we might observe an inflation of the type I error.2


  1. Patterson S, Jones B. Bioequivalence and Statistics in Clinical Pharmacology. Boca Raton: Chapman & Hall / CRC; 2nd ed. 2016: p.47.
  2. Labes D, Schütz H. Inflation of Type I Error in the Evaluation of Scaled Average Bioequivalence, and a Method for its Control. Pharm Res. 2016;33(11):2805–14. doi:10.1007/s11095-016-2006-1. full text view-only.

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daryazyatina
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Ukraine,
2017-08-16 12:12
(2416 d 02:40 ago)

@ Helmut
Posting: # 17689
Views: 18,258
 

 terminology

Hi Helmut

❝ Like in this thread it is a question of terminology; see this thread for details.


I have some questions about this.
Some articles describe the difference between a standard deviation and a standard error. How to understand such articles? for example

The terms “standard error” and “standard deviation” are often confused. The contrast between these two terms reflects the important distinction between data description and inference, one that all researchers should appreciate.1
  1. Douglas G Altman, J Martin Bland. Standard deviations and standard errors.
    doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7521.903
  2. David L Streiner, PhD. Maintaining Standards: Differences between the Standard Deviation and Standard Error, and When to Use Each.
    http://ww1.cpa-apc.org/Publications/Archives/PDF/1996/Oct/strein2.pdf
Helmut
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Vienna, Austria,
2017-08-16 20:54
(2415 d 17:58 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 17695
Views: 18,151
 

 terminology

Hi Darya,

❝ Some articles describe the difference between a standard deviation and a standard error.


THX for the second one! Was great fun to read.

❝ How to understand such articles?


Duno. Perfect description. Read them again. ;-)

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balinskyi
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Ukraine,
2018-06-03 14:58
(2124 d 23:54 ago)

@ daryazyatina
Posting: # 18844
Views: 13,948
 

 sample size in bioequivalence studies

Hello everyone,

I should note, that this formula was published in Ukrainian Pharmacopoeia 1st edition (obsolete since 2016) with reference to Liu and Chow 2008 book. Now, while planning a study, the sponsor has applied the formula (referring to Pharmacopoeia) and consequently argue, that my estimate for the sample size (calculated with PowerTOST) is unnecessarily high. So in my search for an answer I have found this thread. Thank you everyone for the answers!
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