[Statistical test on multivariate in therapeutical equivalence analysis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the way for testing of multivariate in therapeutical equivalence.


METHODS
By improved Hotelling T(2) test, the mean vector of two groups was tested. The information of each variable could then be obtained by deducting the their correlations. "Clinical Equivalence of Drug A and Drug B for Postmenopausal Bone Looseness" was used in this research. The primary measure of efficacy was regarded as the improvement rate of four variables with predefined limit of equivalence (2%) with the results of univariate test and multivariate test compared.


RESULTS
Under P > alpha, all the variables were nonequivalent. Under P </= alpha, it was necessary to filtrate the variables of unequivalent until the residuals were equivalent. The method of multivariate test was a remedy to the shortage of univariate test.


CONCLUSIONS
With the combination of the filtration of nonequivalent variables and the improved Hotelling T(2) test, the test of multivariate could be done. The method is reasonable and practical.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing 100054, China.
Yu-Xiang
YX
Yan
Hong-Yuan
HY
Wang
Ren-An
RA
Wang
D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013810:Therapeutic Equivalency