The Smooth Away From Expected (SAFE) non-inferiority frontier: theory and implementation with an application to the D3 trial.
Matteo QuartagnoMan ChanAnna TurkovaDeborah FordIan R WhitePublished in: Trials (2023)
The SAFE non-inferiority frontier will be used in D3, and the non-inferiority margin and significance level will be modified if the control event risk is lower than expected. This ensures results will remain interpretable if design assumptions are incorrect, while achieving similar power. A similar approach could be considered for other non-inferiority trials where the control event risk is uncertain.