Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Scientific Meetings
PSI EIWG Webinar: Estimands framework in action, the Alzheimer's disease case
Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Training Courses
PSI EIWG Webinar: Estimands framework in action, the Alzheimer's disease case
Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Journal Club
PSI EIWG Webinar: Estimands framework in action, the Alzheimer's disease case
Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Webinars
PSI EIWG Webinar: Estimands framework in action, the Alzheimer's disease case
Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Careers Meetings
PSI EIWG Webinar: Estimands framework in action, the Alzheimer's disease case
Date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024 Time: 14:00-15:30 BST | 15:00-16:30 CEST Location: Online via Zoom Speakers: Rachid Abbas, Angeliki Thanasopoulou, and Marcel Wolbers (Roche).
Who is this event intended for? Clinicians, Regulators, Investigators, Academics, members of Ethics Committees, Health technology assessors, Statisticians. What is the benefit of attending?
● To illustrate the purpose of each estimand attributes using simple language in a pivotal study in early Alzheimer's disease
● Recognize the benefits of following the estimand framework (ICH E9 (R1) addendum) in the context of a clinical trial, in order to:
- gain alignment on the question(s) of interest
- frame questions which may be of interest to different stakeholders
- be transparent when communicating trial results
Registration
This event is free to both Members of PSI and Non-Members. To register your place for this event, please click here.
Overview
The webinar will show how the estimand framework was applied in a Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's disease.
GRADUATE I(NCT03444870) and GRADUATE II (NCT03443973) were two global, Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of gantenerumab in early Alzheimer's disease. The GRADUATE studies were among the first pivotal trials in Alzheimer's Disease to adopt the estimand framework and to conduct a primary analysis which is fully aligned with the targeted estimand.
In this webinar we will review the key elements of the estimand framework through the experience of the Graduate study team. We will review how the Graduate study team interpreted the estimand framework and used its elements to cover the primary clinical question of interest. We will review the challenges we met and the solutions we implemented.
This webinar will be interactive. Questions will be raised at different points during the talk and we will end with 30 minutes dedicated to answer open questions.
Speaker details
Speaker
Biography
Rachid Abbas
Rachid Abbas is a statistician in Roche's Product Development department since 2020.
With a medical degree in public health and a Master’s in biostatistics, he has a strong interest in statistical issues in drug development. Rachid has held academic positions at Paris Diderot University and Gustave Roussy, contributing to clinical trials in geriatrics and neuro-oncology. At Roche, he supports late-phase Alzheimer's Disease programs. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, including adaptive designs, estimands, and trial emulation.
Angeliki Thanaspoulou
Angeliki is a Senior Clinical Scientist in the Alzheimer’s Disease & Neurodegeneration Franchise at Roche since 2019.
She has previously worked in clinical development in a small size biotech focusing on rare diseases in neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and respiratory indications, across Phase 1 up to Phase 4 studies. Prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry she completed a postdoctoral position in the University Hospital Basel working on translational research and Investigator Initiated Trials. Angeliki is a biologist in training with a masters and PhD in molecular and cellular biology.
Marcel Wolbers
Since completing his PhD in mathematical statistics in 2002, Marcel Wolbers has spent half of his career as an academic biostatistician and the other half as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry. Between 2009 and 2016, he was the head of biostatistics at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since 2016, he has been an expert statistician working in the Methods, Collaboration, and Outreach group (MCO) of Roche's data sciences and statistics department. His research interests include the design and analysis of innovative clinical trials, estimands, missing data, prognostic models, and competing risks.
Upcoming Events
PSI Introduction to Industry Training (ITIT) Course - 2026/2027
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.
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, “Graphics Basics,” will introduce the fundamentals of producing graphics using the ggplot2 package.
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: The AI Con – Joint with ASA Book Club
The Guardian described the authors of this book as refreshingly sarcastic! What is sold to us as AI, they announce, is just "a bill of goods": "A few major well-placed players are poised to accumulate significant wealth by extracting value from other people's creative work, personal data, or labour, and replacing quality services with artificial facsimiles."
Causal Inference SIG and EFSPI Methods Leaders: Modern Covariate Adjustment in Clinical Trials
This webinar will discuss modern approaches to covariate adjustment in clinical trials. We begin with the motivation and key principles underlying the FDA guidance, then revisit established methodologies in light of these regulatory considerations. Building on this foundation, we explore extensions to more advanced applications in clinical trial analysis. The webinar concludes with an outlook on future developments and a panel discussion.
PSI Book Club: Another Door Opens – Book Club Special Event
This is a Book Club Special Event in response to the changes in our industry and as a supportive move to create community and connection for those navigating redundancy and uncertainty. Read the book in advance of the book club session then join the zoom call to discuss ideas. There will be breakout groups to connect with others, exchange experiences of how the book has helped, and offer support.
PSI Book Club: Change: How organisations achieve hard-to-image results in uncertain and volatile times
Organizations have to adapt to the transforming landscape of our industry to ensure they continue to be successful in the future. Many of us are feeling the impact of organizational change. By reading John P Kotter’s book we can understand about organizational change and learn how to thrive, rather than just survive, through change.
Change, by John P Kotter (and his team), is a summary of all that he has learned over his decades of research and leading change. His book describes why many current approaches to change are inadequate and explains why new solutions need to give people a voice and a role in a new, change-embracing organization.
Develop your understanding of organisational change and become empowered to be part of your organisation’s change, by reading Change by John P Kotter and joining the Sept-Dec 2025 book club. You will be invited to join facilitated discussions of the concepts and ideas and apply knowledge from the book in-between sessions.
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 Training Course: Propensity Scores: Practical Application in Non-randomised Studies
The course will introduce the topic of propensity scores and the use of external data. Covering the topics of matching and weighting as well as more advance topics of high dimension propensity scores, multi-valued treatments, double robustness and time-varying scenarios. There will be the opportunity to participate in some hands on practical exercises in R.
This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.
A Lead Statistician builds and leads teams of statisticians and representatives from other functions and ensures the use of appropriate and efficient statistical analysis methods during development of Bayer products
Leeds Clinical Trials Research Unit - Undergraduate Internships
The Internship is open to undergraduate students in the penultimate year of their undergraduate degree at a UK university, in a mathematical, statistical, or quantitative related field.
As a Senior Statistician, you will provide high-quality statistical support to one of our key-FSP clients. At Senior level you may also take on a supervisory role (e.g. line management and/or project management), depending on your experience and interest.