As a statistician, I have been concerned the S/C p
Post# of 148298
With 120 patients split 80/40 - yesterday's enrollment - in the interim review and deaths of 40% in placebo and 20% in treatment, then p=.0127. Increasing sample size to 150 - say two more weeks - yields p=.006 (one sided, difference in proportions test - neither may be correct).
As you know, a lower placebo death rate makes it harder to prove, say, a 50% reduction in rate in the drug arm, as below @ 120 patients:
Placebo deaths 50%, treatment 25% has p=.003
Placebo deaths 30%, treatment 15% has p=.035 (if 2-sided test, not significant)