QCast: Data-Driven Dialogue in Drug Development

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom look at SAS vs R vs Python through the lens of clinical trial delivery. Rather than treating the choice as a programming preference, they focus on where each tool tends to fit: SAS for established clinical reporting, R for statistical analysis and visualisation, and Python for automation, integration, and data workflows. Key Takeaways SAS, R, and Python can al...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss decentralised clinical trials and what they mean for clinical development teams in practice. The episode looks at decentralisation as a spectrum of remote, local, digital, and site-based activity, rather than a move to fully virtual trials. Key Takeaways Decentralised clinical trials work best when remote and local activities are selected deliberately....

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss the Global Statistical Test for multiple endpoints analysis and why it can be useful when a clinical trial needs to assess more than one outcome at the same time. They cover the problem of testing endpoints separately, how GST supports an overall assessment of treatment effect, and why endpoint choice, correlation, missing data, and clinical interpreta...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss CDASH standards and conformance in clinical data management, with a focus on where CDASH sits in the clinical data flow and why it matters before data reaches SDTM. The episode looks at CRF and eCRF design, naming conventions, metadata, controlled terminology, ePRO and eSource data, and the practical problems that can appear when collection standards a...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss multi-omics and its application in personalised medicine studies. The episode explains how genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and other biological data layers can be analysed together to better understand disease, treatment response and patient subgroups. Key Takeaways Multi-omics brings together several types of biological information to...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss BIMO listings and their role in FDA inspection readiness. They explain how Bioresearch Monitoring looks at clinical trial conduct, participant protection, data credibility, and the records that support regulatory submissions. The episode also covers common misconceptions, including the idea that BIMO is only a site-level concern, and shows how sponsors...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss efficacy endpoints in oncology clinical trials and why endpoint choice shapes how treatment benefit is assessed. They look at overall survival, progression-free survival, objective response rate, disease-free survival, event-free survival, symptom endpoints, and quality-of-life measures. Key Takeaways Overall survival remains one of the clearest measur...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss how ADaM datasets are created for pharmacokinetic, or PK, analysis. They look at the role of ADPC for concentration data and ADPP for derived PK parameters, including how these datasets relate to SDTM PC and PP. The episode also covers why timing, dosing information, analysis values, flags and study-specific rules matter when preparing PK data for repo...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss clinical data review as an active part of study oversight, rather than a late-stage clean-up exercise. They explore how timely, connected review supports subject safety, data quality, medical review and confident decision-making, especially as trial data now comes from EDC, ePRO, eCOA, labs, imaging, biomarkers, wearables and other sources. Key Takeawa...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom discuss clinical trial management systems and their role in keeping clinical studies under control. They explain how CTMS differs from EDC, why operational visibility matters across recruitment, monitoring, site activity and documentation, and how a well-used system can support risk-based oversight, audit trails and better decision-making across sponsors, CROs...

In this QCast episode, co-hosts Jullia and Tom explore clinical trial simulation and how it supports better study design decisions before a trial begins. They explain how simulation uses statistical and mathematical models to test plausible study scenarios, rather than relying on a single fixed assumption. Key Takeaways Simulation helps teams see how a study design may behave under different assum...

In this QCast episode, co-hosts Jullia and Tom explore clinical study start up and why it has such a direct effect on how a trial runs once sites begin opening. They look at what study start up actually includes, from feasibility and budgeting to contracts, ethics, and regulatory submissions, and explain why early choices in this phase can shape timelines, site activation, and the amount of operat...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore medical device clinical trials and why they differ in important ways from drug studies. They explain what these trials are designed to show, how safety, performance, and clinical benefit are assessed across different types of devices, and why study design depends so heavily on intended use, risk profile, usability, and real-world clinical context. Key...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore SAD and MAD studies and why they play such a central role in early clinical development. They explain what single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose studies are designed to show, how they help teams build an early picture of safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, and why their value depends on clear escalation rules, fast data review, and...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore functional service provision and why it remains such an important outsourcing model in clinical development. They explain what FSP means in practical terms, how it differs from full-service delivery, where it can give sponsors more flexibility and specialist support, and why its success depends on clear scope, strong governance, and effective oversight...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore automation in clinical trials and why it matters for modern study delivery. They explain what automation looks like in day-to-day trial work, where it can reduce manual burden across consent, data flow, query management, and oversight, and why its value depends on strong integration, governance, and human review. Key Takeaways Understand automation as...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore observational studies and why they remain such an important part of the evidence base in drug development. They explain what makes an observational study different from an interventional trial, how routine care data can be used to answer practical research questions, and why the value of these studies depends so heavily on clear design, data quality, a...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore phase 2b in clinical trials and why this stage plays such a decisive role in moving a programme towards phase 3. They explain how phase 2b is typically used to reduce uncertainty around dose, population, endpoints, and treatment effect, and why the study needs to produce data that can support a real development decision rather than just an encouraging...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom unpack ACR response criteria in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials and why these endpoints are more operationally demanding than they look on paper. They explain what ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70 measure, how the responder definition depends on consistent joint counts, patient-reported assessments, and timely acute phase reactants, and why a clean-looking binary...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom explore regulatory submissions in clinical trials and why strong submission discipline protects timelines long before any scientific review begins. They discuss what a regulatory submission includes in practice, how early technical validation and portal expectations can derail an otherwise solid package, and where teams most often lose time through version dri...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom unpack therapeutic areas in clinical research and why they matter far beyond a clinical label. They discuss how a therapeutic area shapes trial design assumptions, from endpoint selection and safety oversight to site models, specialist assessments, and the way data moves from collection to review and analysis. Key Takeaways Recognise how therapeutic area choic...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom break down eCRF design in clinical trials and why it has such an outsized impact on data quality, site workload, and downstream analysis. They clarify what an electronic case report form is meant to do in practice, how it translates protocol requirements into usable data capture, and how to approach validation checks without overburdening sites. Key Takeaways...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom unpack risk-based quality management (RBQM) in clinical data management and why it’s central to protecting participant safety and the reliability of trial results. They clarify what RBQM means in practice, how teams identify critical data and processes, and how KRIs and QTLs can be used to spot emerging issues early and drive proportionate, documented action a...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom break down the Investigator’s Brochure (IB) and why it remains a cornerstone of safe, consistent trial conduct. They explain what an IB is, who relies on it, and how it complements the protocol by translating the evolving evidence base into practical guidance on dosing rationale, monitoring, and risk management. Key Takeaways  Understand what an Investigator’s...

In this QCast episode, Jullia and Tom unpack adaptive randomisation in clinical trials and why teams consider it when fixed allocation feels inefficient or ethically uncomfortable. They explain how response-adaptive randomisation can shift treatment assignment as evidence accumulates, and how patient characteristics can be incorporated through covariate-adjusted response-adaptive randomisation.  K...