Dendreon Corp fka DNDNQ

[iwfal]

While both DNDN and CEGE have used the terms "allocated alpha" or alpha spend" both the CEGE CEO and DNDN's Schiffman seem to concentrate on the importance of the Hazard Ratio at the interim rather than the p value.

This is just the way that drug companies talk. As far as the FDA is concerned it is only p value vs alpha that matters.

Slide 9 states that statiscians like Hazard Ratios because all data is used and there is smoothing.

There is just as much 'smoothing' with LogRank in comparison to other p values you could calculate such as Chi Squate of % alive at 36 months.

With a given number of events at the interim and an allocated p value, is the Hazard Ratio determined automatically or does the shape of the curve or some other factor(s) make it a variable independent of events and p value?

Given a number of events and an HR the p value is very constrained. Given HR and # of events the p value can move a little based upon KM curve shape - but only a little.