frankstat — Biostatistics & Clinical Trial Methodology

Consultant. Trainer. DMC Statistician.

Independent biostatistical expertise for biotech, pharma and CROs — from study design to data monitoring.

20 years in clinical drug development 60-person global team led 50+ methodology publications Guest lecturer, Ulm University
Consulting
Rigorous statistical support across the full clinical development lifecycle.

Statistical & Methodological Consulting

I help biotech, pharma and CRO teams make sound methodological decisions — from first-in-human through confirmatory trials. Whether you need a second opinion on a design, a defensible analysis plan, an independent review of your CRO's work, or hands-on support through a submission, I bring the perspective of someone who has worked these problems from inside a major pharmaceutical statistics function.

For teams without in-house biostatistics I also act as fractional lead statistician — the senior voice in design discussions, regulatory interactions and CRO meetings.

  • Study design & sample size planning
  • Randomisation strategy
  • Adaptive & dose-finding designs
  • SAP development & review
  • CRO oversight & output review
  • Interim analysis planning
  • Regulatory interactions (FDA, EMA)
  • Fractional lead statistician
Training
Turning statistical depth into skills your team can use.

Training, Masterclasses & Coaching

I design and deliver in-house and open masterclasses for clinical statisticians and cross-functional teams — each built around real trial problems rather than textbook abstractions. Beyond scheduled courses, I offer one-to-one coaching for statisticians moving toward leadership, and tailored sessions for teams strengthening a specific methodological area.

For cross-functional and leadership audiences I offer sessions that build statistical literacy without the mathematics — enough to challenge a design, read an interim report, or brief a board.

For statisticians
  • Clinical Trial Randomisation
  • Statistical Leadership in Drug Development
  • Adaptive Designs
  • Dose Finding
  • 1:1 leadership coaching
For clinical, regulatory & leadership teams
  • Clinical Trial Statistics for Non-Statisticians
  • Reading and Challenging Interim Results
  • Statistics for Decision-Makers
  • Tailored in-house sessions

Delivered in English or German · on-site or remote.

Data Monitoring
Serving as the statistical voting member of Data Monitoring Committees.

DMC Member (Statistician)

I serve as the independent statistician on Data Monitoring Committees — the voting member who reviews and interprets unblinded interim analyses and contributes to the committee's recommendations on trial continuation, modification, or termination. My focus is on critically evaluating the evidence presented to the DMC, not on producing it.

I keep a clear separation from the reporting statistician who prepares the outputs and from the sponsor team, preserving the independence that makes a DMC credible.

  • Independent statistical voting member
  • Review of unblinded interim data
  • Safety & efficacy interpretation
  • Continue / modify / stop recommendations
  • Firewall separation from reporting & sponsor
  • No conflicting engagements
How we work together
Three engagement models, one point of contact.

Engagement models

Every engagement starts with a short, no-cost conversation about the problem. From there, we agree on one of three formats:

Project — A defined scope with a defined outcome: a design review, a sample-size and simulation package, an SAP review, or regulatory-meeting preparation. Fixed price or capped effort, agreed up front.

Retainer — A monthly time budget for teams that need a senior statistician on call: fractional lead statistician for a biotech without in-house biostatistics, or standing methodological back-up for a pharma statistics group.

Mandate — DMC statistical membership or a training and coaching programme, priced per meeting or per course day, including preparation.

CROs engage me as a subcontracted expert — under their own client relationship where preferred. NDA-ready, available at short notice, and used to working inside sponsor and CRO processes alike. All work is delivered in English or German.

No fixed price list — rates follow scope and depend on urgency and travel. Ask for a quote.

About

Two decades of statistical leadership in drug development.

I am Frank Fleischer, a biostatistician with 20 years in clinical drug development. Until 2026 I was Global Head of Therapeutic Area & Methodology Statistics at Boehringer Ingelheim, leading a group of up to 60 statistical and data-science experts across Europe, the US, and China, with oversight of randomisation, unblinding, and DMC support. Since 2026 I work independently under the frankstat brand.

My background pairs deep methodological work with the leadership of large statistical functions. I hold a Dr. rer. nat. in stochastics (Ulm University) and an MSc in mathematics (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee), have authored over 50 publications, and have taught Clinical Trials as a guest lecturer at Ulm University since 2015. Away from the desk, I hold a chess candidate-master title — the same habit of reasoning several moves ahead under uncertainty that statistics rewards.

My therapeutic-area experience is deepest in oncology and immunology, with broad exposure across other indications. I work in R for analysis and simulation, and use Claude as an AI assistant for drafting, review and course development — always with the statistician's judgement kept firmly in the loop.

Selected methodological contributions
  • Inventor of Bayesian MCPMod for incorporating external information into dose finding
  • Established BLRM-EWOC as the standard for oncology dose-finding trials
  • Established MCPMod as the standard for non-oncology dose finding
  • First to implement Bayesian borrowing in a clinical trial at Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Lead author of quantitative Go / No-Go frameworks for early-phase decisions
Dr. rer. nat., stochastics · Ulm MSc mathematics · UW–Milwaukee 50+ publications · ResearchGate ↗ Guest lecturer · Ulm University
Contact

Let's discuss your trial, your team, or your committee.

Tell me a little about the problem — a design under review, a course for your statisticians, or a DMC seat to fill — and I'll come back with how I can help.

Based in the Ulm area, southern Germany Available for business travel Courses in EN & DE