Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 UK Time Presenters: Kim Cocks (Adelphi Values), Andrew Thompson (EMA) and Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Clinical Trials are increasingly featuring a wide variety of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). PROs are important endpoints to both regulatory and health technology bodies in their assessments and approvals. There are standard ways in which PRO instruments are developed and validated, as well as important concepts for designing and interpretation of PRO data in clinical trials such as assessing the Minimally Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs/MIDs) and the use of a Responder definition.
The intent of this webinar is to describe an overview of how PROs tools are developed and used in clinical trial settings and how results can be clinically and meaningfully interpreted. In addition, a regulatory viewpoint will be shared on the key considerations for PROs. The talks will also include examples and case-studies showing the derivation of a validated thresholds for treatment responder and interpretation of PROs in the context of regulatory approval.
Kim Cocks is a Director and Principal Statistician at Adelphi Values, a global healthcare consultancy. She has worked as a medical statistician and clinical trial methodologist for over 20 years across pharmaceutical, academic and consultancy environments. She specialises in PRO interpretation and analysis and is an active member of both the EORTC Quality of Life group and ISOQOL.
Abstract Overview of PROs and clinically meaningful interpretation
PROs are validated instruments designed to provide a direct report from the patient on aspects of their health including symptoms and functioning. This talk will provide a brief overview of how PROs are developed, how they provide a score for multi-dimensional aspects of a patient’s health and why these can be difficult to interpret. The variety of quantitative and qualitative methods available to aid interpretation will be introduced.
Andrew Thomson (EMA)
Andrew Thomson is a statistician at the EMA, in the Human Medicines Research & Development Support Division. Prior to joining the EMA in 2014, he spent 7 years at the MHRA, initially as a Statistical Assessor in the Licensing Division, and subsequently Head of Epidemiology in the Vigilance & Risk Management of Medicines Division.
Abstract Regulatory Considerations for PROs In this talk I will present some regulatory considerations on the use of PROs in regulatory assessment, and how they can be developed. These will be discussed alongside a recent case example that has been through the qualification procedure at EMA.
Christoph Gerlinger (Bayer)
Christoph Gerlinger is Bayer’s Expert Statistician for Health Technology Assessment and Women’s Health. He is the regulatory chair of the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) and a work package leader for the IMI BigData@Heart project. Christoph worked as statistician over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry and in his spare time he teaches at the University Medical School of Saarland.
Abstract Empirical derivation of the minimal important difference for PROs In this talk I will present some methods on how to derive the minimal important difference for PROs from a clinical trial. I will present a worked example where we used this empirical minimal important difference to formulate a responder definition that was then accepted by the FDA.
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.
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.
Topic: R Package Basics.
Our monthly webinar series allows attendees to gain practical knowledge and skills in open-source coding and tools, with a focus on applications in the pharmaceutical industry. This month’s session, “R Package Basics,” will introduce the fundamentals of working with R packages—covering how to install, load, and manage them effectively to support data analysis and reproducible research. The session will provide a solid starting point, clarify common misconceptions, and offer valuable resources for continued learning.
Pre-Clinical SIG Webinar: Modern Algorithms for Animal Randomization in Preclinical Studies
A 1 hour online event, that includes a presentation followed by Q&A.
This webinar will first define terminology in causal inference/data fusion and illustrate their use with two case studies.
Date: 19 November 2025
This event is aimed at students with an interest in the field of Medical Statistics, for example within pharmaceuticals, healthcare and/or medical research.
This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.
PSI Book Club Lunch and Learn: Communicating with Clarity and Confidence
If you have read Ros Atkins’ book The Art of Explanation or want to listen to the BBC’s ‘Communicator in Chief’, you are invited to join the PSI Book Club Lunch and Learn, to discuss the content and application with the author, Ros Atkins. Having written the book within the context of the news industry, Ros is keen to hear how we have applied the ideas as statisticians within drug development and clinical trials. There will be dedicated time during the webinar to ASK THE AUTHOR any questions – don’t miss out on this exclusive PSI Book Club event!
Haven’t read the book yet? Pick up a copy today and join us.
Explanation - identifying and communicating what we want to say - is described as an art, in the title of his book. However, the creativity comes from Ros’ discernment in identifying and describing a clear step-by-step process to follow and practice. Readers can learn Ros’ rules, developed and polished throughout his career as a journalist, to help communicate complex written or spoken information clearly.