Re: NONMEM

From: "Stephen Duffull" stephen.duffull@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Subject: Re: [NMusers] NONMEM Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:00:34 +1200 Hi all >> The example you quote seems to be more suitable for producing >> a limited series of Monte Carlo simulations than for >> producing a truly optimal design. If you want to do it in the >> most appropriate way, you will need to use a tool designed >> specifically for the purpose. I think it is worth a note here that, in my experience of optimizing designs for both industry and academia, I have never been asked to find an optimal design. What I do get asked is to provide a sufficient design that requires minimum effort, for example: fewest patients, reduced number of doses, fewest samples per patient etc. The term sufficient means a design that meets the needs for which the model is intended to be used. It is also my experience that it is almost impossible to do this within any acceptable time-frame using NONMEM or some other package that has MC sim + estimation - and that an information theoretic approach is both practical and very quick at doing this. >> PopED - http://depts.washington.edu/rfpk/rd/software_popED.html >> PFIM - http://www.bichat.inserm.fr/equipes/Emi0357/download.html Of course, I have to plug: POPT - www.winpopt.com WinPOPT - www.winpopt.com POPT requires MATLAB and WinPOPT runs independently of any other software. Also I think that France Mentre has released PFIM_OPT for S (or R). Steve -- Professor Stephen Duffull Chair of Clinical Pharmacy School of Pharmacy University of Otago PO Box 913 Dunedin New Zealand E: stephen.duffull@otago.ac.nz P: +64 3 479 5044 F: +64 3 479 7034 Design software: www.winpopt.com