Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40319227›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2025

The REFRACT trial: implementation of Bayesian power priors in a randomised, sequential phase II adaptive platform trial.

Charlotte Gaskell, Kim Linton, Mark Bishton, Graham McIlroy, Siân Lax, Sonia Fox, Louise Hopkins, Rebecca Collings, Malcolm Rhodes, Tania Seale and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05848765 (Relapsed Follicular Lymphoma Randomised Trial Against Standard ChemoTherapy), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05848765 phase2recruitingnot on this map

Relapsed Follicular Lymphoma Randomised Trial Against Standard ChemoTherapy (REFRACT): A Randomised Phase II Trial of Investigator Choice Standard Therapy Versus Sequential Novel Therapy Experimental Arms

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of BirminghamRan2023 to 2031Enrolled284ConditionsRelapsed Follicular Lymphoma, Refractory Follicular LymphomaArmsEpcoritamab, Lenalidomide, Rituximab, Obinutuzumab, Bendamustine
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Charlotte GaskellCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. c.gaskell@bham.ac.uk.
Kim LintonDepartment of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
Mark BishtonTranslational Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
Graham McIlroyCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Siân LaxCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Sonia FoxCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Louise HopkinsCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Rebecca CollingsCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Malcolm RhodesPatient advocate, National Cancer Research Institute, London, UK.
Tania SealeDivision of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, The University of Manchester, 27 Palantine Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 3LJ, UK.
Aimee JacksonCancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundREFRACT is a randomised trial aimed at rapidly evaluating multiple novel therapies against standard treatment for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (rrFL) using a minimal number of patients. To this end, we designed a prospective, adaptive, sequentially randomised clinical trial to allow multiple novel therapies to be assessed sequentially against a control arm of investigator choice standard therapy (ICT).

methodsREFRACT uses a Bayesian power priors approach enabling the sharing of control arm data from previous treatment rounds. The design allows for the randomisation ratio to be changed and fixed to 1:4 in later treatment rounds resulting in fewer patients being recruited to the control arm.

resultsFollowing extensive simulations, we arrived at the selected design of three sequential treatment rounds, each with a control group and a novel experimental arm assessed for the primary outcome of complete metabolic response (CMR) at 24 weeks. Patients in Round 1 are randomised using a 1:1 allocation, with Rounds 2 and 3 randomised using a 1:4 allocation, in favour of experimental treatment. Using Bayesian power priors, data from control patients in earlier rounds will be shared to improve the operating characteristics in the current round. Previous control arm patients will be weighted at 75% of an active control patient within the prior, with opportunities for adjustment should control treatments change over time.

conclusionsWith the use of power priors and an adaptive design this trial will sequentially evaluate three novel treatment regimens in a disease that urgently requires additional treatment options. REFRACT opened to recruitment in July 2023.

trial registrationEudraCT: 2022-000677-75; 10-Feb-2022. CLINICALTRIALS: gov: NCT05848765; 08-May-2023.

Indexed as

Adaptive Clinical Trials as TopicClinical Trials, Phase II as TopicLymphoma, FollicularRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBayes TheoremHumansProspective StudiesResearch DesignBayesianFollicular lymphomaNovel therapiesPower priorsTrial design

Identifiers

PMID40319227
PMCPMC12049029

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.