Multigroup, Adaptively Randomized Trials Are Advantageous for Comparing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Interventions

Amalia S Magaret; Shevin T Jacob; M Elizabeth Halloran; Katherine A Guthrie; Craig A Magaret; Christine Johnston; Noah R Simon; Anna Wald

doi:10.7326/M20-2933

Multigroup, Adaptively Randomized Trials Are Advantageous for Comparing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Interventions

Ann Intern Med. 2020 Oct 6;173(7):576-577. doi: 10.7326/M20-2933. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Authors

Amalia S Magaret¹, Shevin T Jacob², M Elizabeth Halloran¹, Katherine A Guthrie³, Craig A Magaret³, Christine Johnston¹, Noah R Simon⁴, Anna Wald¹

Affiliations

¹ University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (A.S.M., M.E.H., C.J., A.W.).
² Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom, and University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (S.T.J.).
³ Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (K.A.G., C.A.M.).
⁴ University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (N.R.S.).

Abstract

In this commentary, the authors explain and call for a broader use of outcome-adaptive randomization when designing clinical trials to test multiple COVID-19 interventions. This design potentially reduces the number of deaths or other adverse outcomes incurred during a trial.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
Humans
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic*
Research Design*
SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

R37 AI032042/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States