Adaptive trial design at VESO

Trial design at VESO may be divided into two categories based on stringency; Static trial design and Adaptive trial design.

In Static trial design we follow a fixed protocol step by step from A-Z, irrespective of knowledge acquired during the trial.

Adaptive trial design represents an iterative/ algorithmic "play-the-winner" approach when a protocol may consist of several distinct steps or tests.

Directional decisions are made as a trial progresses and results become available allowing us to home in rapidly on critical values of interest, such as probit LC90 values for salmon louse compounds, time to reaching certain stages of sedation anesthesia, behavioral responses to certain stimuli etc.

The adaptive approach is useful for exploratory dose-response studies and may substantially reduce fish expenditure, trial costs and time.

It is suitable for trials with outcome parameters with short response times, such as to explore time x dose x temperature constellations needed for an anesthetic to subdue 50% of a fish population, palatibility of feed additives and more.

Please contact us, and our Study Directors will suggest best approaches to trial design.