Distribution plots of individual benefit-risk criteria

Distribution plots of a benefit (cure rate) and three risks (incidence rates for hepatic, cardiac and visual events) for telithromycin and a comparator are shown above. The plots show overlapping distributions of events based on a Bayesian model with Beta prior information and observed rates from clinical studies. Greater overlap between the two distributions indicates the two treatments are very similar on that criterion, for example, the incidence of cardiac events (bottom left, C). The bottom right distribution plot D, shows little overlap, and therefore there are more likely to be higher incidence rates of visual related events associated with telithromycin against the comparator.