adjusting α [RSABE / ABEL]

posted by Helmut Homepage – Vienna, Austria, 2013-08-11 18:19 (3882 d 20:38 ago) – Posting: # 11262
Views: 18,833

Hi all!

slow code to estimate sample sizes for adjusted α.

library(PowerTOST)
CV    <- 0.30    # intra-subject CV of reference
reg   <- "EMA"   # "EMA" for scABEL or "FDA" for RSABE
des   <- "2x2x4" # full: "2x2x4"; partial: "2x3x3"
target<- 0.80    # target power
TR    <- 0.90    # expected T/R ratio
alpha <- 0.05    # target alpha
print <- FALSE   # intermediate results
nsims <- 1e6
if (reg == "EMA") { # scABEL (rounded switching cond. acc. to GL)
  ifelse (CV <= 0.5, GMR <- exp(0.76*CV2se(CV)),
                     GMR <- exp(0.76*CV2se(0.5)))
  if (CV <= 0.3) GMR <- 1.25
    } else {        # RSABE (exact switching cond.: 0.8925742…)
  ifelse (CV > 0.3, GMR <- exp(log(1.25)/0.25*CV2se(CV)),
                    GMR <- 1.25)
}
if (reg == "EMA") { # first estimate (unadjusted alpha)
  res <- sampleN.scABEL(alpha=alpha, theta0=TR, CV=CV,
                        targetpower=target, design=des,
                        print=FALSE, details=FALSE)
  } else {
  res <- sampleN.RSABE(alpha=alpha, theta0=TR, CV=CV,
                       targetpower=target, design=des,
                       print=FALSE, details=FALSE)
}
n1   <- res[["Sample size"]]
pwr  <- res[["Achieved power"]]
infl <-NULL
if (reg == "EMA") {
  pBE <- power.scABEL(alpha=alpha, CV=CV, theta0=GMR,
                      n=n1, design=des, nsims=nsims)
  } else {
  pBE <- power.RSABE(alpha=alpha, CV=CV, theta0=GMR,
                     n=n1, design=des, nsims=nsims)
}
if (pBE > alpha) infl <- "alpha-inflation!"
cat("regulator:", reg, " design:", des,
  "\nexpected CV:", CV, "expected PE:", TR,
  " target power:", target, " achieved power:", pwr,
  "\nn:", n1, " target alpha:", alpha, " pBE at extended limit:",
  round(pBE, 5), infl, "\n")
n.adj <- n1      # start of search: sample size with unadjusted alpha
pwr   <- 0.5     # that's rather low!
prec  <- 1e-8    # precision of bisection algo
iter1 <- 0
while (pwr < target) {
  infl  <- NULL
  iter1 <- iter1 + 1
  start <- alpha   # unadjusted alpha
  stop  <- 0.05    # target alpha
  nom   <- c(0.001, start)           # from conservative to unadjusted alpha
  lower <- min(nom); upper <- max(nom)
  delta <- upper - lower             # interval
  iter2 <- 0
  while (abs(delta) > prec) {        # until precision reached
    iter2  <- iter2 + 1
    adj <- (lower+upper)/2           # bisection
    if (reg == "EMA") {
      pBE <- power.scABEL(alpha=adj, theta0=GMR, CV=CV,
                          n=n.adj, design=des, nsims=nsims)
      } else {
      pBE <- power.RSABE(alpha=adj, theta0=GMR, CV=CV,
                         n=n.adj, esign=des, nsims=nsims)
    }
    if (abs(pBE - stop) <= prec) break # precision reached
    if (pBE > stop) upper <- adj       # move limit downwards
    if(pBE < stop) lower <- adj        # move limit upwards
    delta <- upper - lower             # new interval
  }
  if (reg == "EMA") {                  # current alpha and power
    pwr <- power.scABEL(alpha=adj, theta0=TR, CV=CV,
                        n=n.adj, design=des, nsims=nsims)
    pBE <- power.scABEL(alpha=adj, theta0=GMR, CV=CV,
                        n=n.adj, design=des, nsims=nsims)
    } else {
    pwr <- power.RSABE(alpha=adj, theta0=TR, CV=CV,
                       n=n.adj, design=des, nsims=nsims)
    pBE <- power.RSABE(alpha=adj, theta0=GMR, CV=CV,
                       n=n.adj, design=des, nsims=nsims)
  }
  if (print) {
    cat("iteration:", iter1, " n:", n.adj, " power:", pwr,
        " adj. alpha:", adj, "\n")
    if (.Platform$OS.type == "windows") flush.console()
  }
  if (pBE > alpha) infl <- "alpha-inflation!"
  if (!is.null(infl) | pwr < target) { # increase sample size if inflation or insufficient power
    ifelse (des == "2x2x4", n.adj <- n.adj+2,
                            n.adj <- n.adj+3)
  }
}
if (n.adj > n1) {
cat("regulator:", reg, " design:", des,
    "\nexpected CV:", CV, "expected PE:", TR,
    " target power:", target, " achieved power:", pwr,
    "\nn:", n.adj, " target alpha:", alpha, " adj. alpha:",
    round(adj, 5), " pBE at extended limit:", round(pBE, 5), infl,
    "\nSample size penalty due to adjusted alpha of",
    round(adj, 5), "( ~", round(100*(1-2*adj), 2),
    "% confidence interval):\n", n.adj-n1, "(",
    round(100*(n.adj-n1)/n1, 1), "% )\n")
  } else {
cat("regulator:", reg, " design:", des,
    "\nexpected CV:", CV, "expected PE:", TR,
    " target power:", target, " achieved power:", pwr,
    "\nn:", n.adj, " target alpha:", alpha, " adj. alpha:",
    round(adj, 5), " pBE at extended limit:", round(pBE, 5), infl,
    "\nNo sample size penalty due to adjusted alpha of", round(adj, 5),
    "(~", round(100*(1-2*adj), 2), "% confidence interval)\n")
}

[image]

I set the expected ratio to 0.9 (more realistic than 0.95 for HVDs/HVDPs). Observations: Sample size penality due to αadj is higher in the fully replicated design. Generally no more penalty for CVWR > ~40%.
Bonus question: αadj depends on CVWR observed in the study, which regulators probably don’t like. In a deficiency letter on Potvin’s method C The Netherland’s MEB stated:

Adapting the confidence intervals based upon power is not acceptable and also not in accordance with the EMA guideline. Confidence intervals should be selected a priori, without evaluation of the power.”

(my emphases)
Let’s say in study planning we expect a CVWR of 40% (T/R 0.9, 90% power). In a fully replicate design we would estimate the sample size with 42 – but α will be inflated to 0.05555. So we adjust α to 0.04377 (91.25% CI), which would need 44 subjects. In the study CVWR turned out to be 35%, which would call for a more conservative αadj of 0.03812 (92.38% CI). If we would use the αadj from study planning, we would face an inflation to 0.05681. Maybe it is acceptable to regulators to apply a lower α (wider CI) than in study planning, but what if it is the other way round? If it is not acceptable to use a higher α (narrower CI) we would loose power.

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