Statistical Analysis System (SAS)

• What does SAS stands for?
• Statistical Analysis System
• Who was the founder of SAS?
• Jim Goodnight
• How long SAS been around?
• Around 30 years
• What do you do with SAS software?
• Gather, massage and manage the data, analyze the data, generate reports based on data.
• What is the SAS software comprised of?
• SAS Server to collect and save data, SAS Applications such as Enterprise Guide, SAS add-on for Microsoft Office, SAS Web Report Guide.
• What are the SAS data access products?
• SAS/ACCESS products that run on SAS Server.
• Where can you download SAS software at free of cost?
• Search in Google for SAS University Edition to find the links.
• What is a task in Enterprise Guide?
• Tasks are the built-in wizards of Enterprise Guide.
• Name couple of Enterprise Guide tasks?
• Query Builder, Graphs, Reports, etc.
• Why do you use charts in SAS?
• To summarize the data.
• Explain the basic mathematical terms mean, median, mode, range and give an example?
• Mean is the average of all given numbers
• Median is the middle number in the given numbers when arranged from smallest to largest
• Mode is the number that appears the most in the given numbers
• Range is the difference between the largest and smallest numbers in the given numbers
• Let's find mean, median, mode, range of the given numbers 10, 18, 11, 11, 15
• Mean: (10+18+11+11+15) / 5 = 13
• Median: put the numbers in order: 10,11,11,15,18...and pick the middle number, 11
• Mode: most appeared number is 11
• Range: 18 (largest number) - 10 (smallest number) = 8
• List some of the top pharmaceutical companies in USA?
• Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca,Bristol-Myers squibb, Bayer, Actavis, etc.
• Name some of the top clinical research organizations (CRO)?
• Qunitiles, Covance, Parexel, Icon, INC, PPD, inVentiv, PRA, CRLI, WuXi
• Name some of the top health foundations?
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Nemours, W.K.Kellogg Foundation, Kaiser Parmanente.
• Where can I learn more about Clinical Studies?
• https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/about-studies/learn
• What are the clinical trial phases?
• https://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/ctphases.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phases_of_clinical_research
• What is an IND Application?
• IND stands for Investigational New Drug.
• The drug sponsors file IND application to get the exemption from FDA to ship the experimental drug across the state lines (the intention is to use the drug in animal studies and human clinical trials). 
• IND Application should have information in 3 broad areas: Animal Pharmacology and toxicity studies, Manufacturing information, Clinical Protocols and investigator information.
• There are 3 IND types: Investigator IND, Emergency use IND, Treatment IND
• Once the IND is submitted, the sponsor must wait 30 calendar days before initiating any clinical trials.
• Read more at fda.gov
• What is NDA Application?
• NDA stands for New Drug Application.
• The drug sponsors file NDA application with FDA to get the approval to sell the drug.
• The data collected from IND becomes part of NDA.
• Read more at fda.gov
• What is the format of a proc step? (See for more details: http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi29/256-29.pdf)