We are delighted to announce two winners for the 2018 Statistical Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry Award. For this year, both Dr Mouna Akacha, senior director at Novartis, and Dr Simon Bate, statistics leader at GlaxoSmithKline, have been awarded for their contributions to the pharmaceutical industry.
The award is jointly organised by the Royal Statistical Society and PSI - the member organisation for statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry - and recognises influential examples of the application of an existing statistical practice, or the implementation of an innovative statistical practice, in the industry.
Dr Akacha’s entry, 'Enhancing drug development using clinically interpretable treatment effect measures ('estimands') that allow for efficient statistical analyses' was recognised by the judging panel for the quality of intellectual framing of an approach to an important question of how to analyze RCTs with incomplete follow-up in line with new ICH guidance on estimands.
Dr Bate’s entry, 'Improving the quality and reliability of animal research through the use of InVivoStat: a statistical software package for animal researchers' was praised by the judging panel for the significant body of work created and the obvious beneficial impact it has had within the intended user community over many years.
'The Statistical Excellence Award is a great chance to honour the very best and most influential work that statisticians in industry do,' said Tim Rolfe, board director at PSI. 'Both Mouna and Simon are very worthy winners from different ends of the pharmaceutical development spectrum.'
The photo above shows (l-r) PSI chair Nigel Howitt with Mouna Akacha and Nicola Emmerson of the RSS. Photo right shows Simon Bate having received his award.