Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
Time: 10:30 - 12:30 UK Time Presenters: Mahesh Parmar (Medical Research Council), James Matcham (AstraZeneca) and Julia Saperia (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
Trials designed to answer a range of questions, often incorporating multiple treatment arms are increasingly being considered in all phases of clinical research in both the pharmaceutical industry and public sector trials. A variety of terms including platform, umbrella and basket designs have been used to describe particular versions of this general framework. During this webinar a regulatory speaker will consider what is meant by the different terms and potential regulatory hurdles, while speakers from industry and the public sector will share their practical experiences of these types of trials.
Mahesh Parmar, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL
Abstract
Testing many treatments within a single protocol over 10 years at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL: Multi-arm, multi-stage platform, umbrella and basket protocols
There is real need to change how we do some of our clinical trials, as currently the testing and development process is too slow, too costly and too failure-prone. Ultimately, we often find that a new treatment is no better than the current standard. Much of the focus on the development and testing pathway has been in improving the design of phase I and II trials. In this presentation, we present examples of new methods for improving the design of phase III trials (and the necessary lead up to them) as they are the most time-consuming and expensive part of the pathway. Key to all these methods is the aim to test many treatments and/or pose many therapeutic questions within one protocol.
Please click here to view Julia Saperia's slides.
Please click here to view James Matcham's slides.
Please click here to view Mahesh Parmar's slides.
PSI Introduction to Industry Training (ITIT) Course - 2025/2026
An introductory course giving an overview of the pharmaceutical industry and the drug development process as a whole, aimed at those with 1-3 years' experience. It comprises of six 2-day sessions covering a range of topics including Research and Development, Toxicology, Data Management and the Role of a CRO, Clinical Trials, Reimbursement, and Marketing.
Joint PSI/EFSPI Visualisation SIG 'Wonderful Wednesday' Webinars
Our monthly webinar explores examples of innovative data visualisations relevant to our day to day work. Each month a new dataset is provided from a clinical trial or other relevant example, and participants are invited to submit a graphic that communicates interesting and relevant characteristics of the data.
Urgent Meeting: Medical Statistician Apprenticeship Scheme
The UK government have recently announced that level 7 apprenticeships must be fully funded by the employer from January 2026, for any apprentice over the age of 21. With funding for MSc's at an all time low, and universities courses facing closures, the apprenticeship scheme remains as important as ever, as a tool to encourage new statisticians into our industry. In this dedicated meeting, Valerie Millar (chair of the apprenticeship scheme) will provide full updates on the government changes and seek feedback and ideas from employers, universities and apprentices on how to keep this scheme successfully running for many years to come.
PSI Webinar: Methodology and first results of the iRISE (improving Reproducibility In SciencE) consortium
This 1-hour webinar will be an opportunity to hear about the methodology and first results of the iRISE consortium. iRISE is working towards a better understanding of reproducibility and the interventions that work to improve it. At the end of the presentation there will also be the opportunity to ask questions.
One-day Event: Change Management for Moving to R/Open-Source
This one-day event focuses on the comprehensive management of transitioning to R/Open-Source, addressing the challenges and providing actionable insights. Attendees will participate in sessions covering essential topics such as training best practices, creating strategic plans, making the case to senior management, and managing both statistical and programming aspects of the transition.
PSI Book Club - The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence
Develop your non-technical skills by reading The Art of Explanation by Ros Atkins and joining the Sept-Dec 2025 book club. You will be invited to join facilitated discussions of the concepts and ideas and apply skills from the book in-between sessions.
This course is aimed at biostatisticians with no or some pediatric drug development experience who are interested to further their understanding. We will give you an introduction to the pediatric drug development landscape. This will include identifying the key regulations and processes governing pediatric development, a discussion on the needs and challenges when conducting pediatric research and a focus on the ways to overcome these challenges from a statistical perspective.
This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.
EFSPI/PSI Causal Inference SIG Webinar: Instrumental Variable Methods
The webinar is targeted at statisticians working in the pharmaceutical industry, and the objective is to 1) provide a basic understanding of IV methodology including how it relates to causal inference, and 2) present two inspirational pharma-relevant applications.
This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.
This is an exciting, new opportunity for an experienced Statistician looking to take the next step in their career. Offered as a remote or hybrid position aligned with our site in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.