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Landgraf R, Aberle J, Birkenfeld AL, Gallwitz B, Kellerer M, Klein HH, Müller-Wieland D, Nauck MA, Wiesner T, Siegel E. Therapy of Type 2 Diabetes. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2024; 132:340-388. [PMID: 38599610 DOI: 10.1055/a-2166-6755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jens Aberle
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, University Obesity Centre Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | | | - Baptist Gallwitz
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany
| | - Monika Kellerer
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Harald H Klein
- MVZ for Diagnostics and Therapy Bochum, Bergstraße 26, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk Müller-Wieland
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Aachen University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael A Nauck
- Diabetology, Endocrinology and Metabolism Section, Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Erhard Siegel
- Department of Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology, Diabetology/Endocrinology and Nutritional Medicine, St. Josefkrankenhaus Heidelberg GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
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Gomes M, Turner AJ, Sammon C, Dawoud D, Ramagopalan S, Simpson A, Siebert U. Acceptability of Using Real-World Data to Estimate Relative Treatment Effects in Health Technology Assessments: Barriers and Future Steps. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2024; 27:623-632. [PMID: 38369282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2024.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Evidence about the comparative effects of new treatments is typically collected in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In some instances, RCTs are not possible, or their value is limited by an inability to capture treatment effects over the longer term or in all relevant population subgroups. In these cases, nonrandomized studies (NRS) using real-world data (RWD) are increasingly used to complement trial evidence on treatment effects for health technology assessment (HTA). However, there have been concerns over a lack of acceptability of this evidence by HTA agencies. This article aims to identify the barriers to the acceptance of NRS and steps that may facilitate increases in the acceptability of NRS in the future. METHODS Opinions of the authorship team based on their experience in real-world evidence research in academic, HTA, and industry settings, supported by a critical assessment of existing studies. RESULTS Barriers were identified that are applicable to key stakeholder groups, including HTA agencies (eg, the lack of comprehensive methodological guidelines for using RWD), evidence generators (eg, avoidable deviations from best practices), and external stakeholders (eg, data controllers providing timely access to high-quality RWD). Future steps that may facilitate future acceptability of NRS include improvements in the quality, integration, and accessibility of RWD, wider use of demonstration projects to highlight the value and applicability of nonrandomized designs, living, and more detailed HTA guidelines, and improvements in HTA infrastructure relating to RWD. CONCLUSION NRS can represent a crucial source of evidence on treatment effects for use in HTA when RCT evidence is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Gomes
- Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, England, UK
| | | | | | - Dalia Dawoud
- Science, Policy and Research Programme, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, London, England, UK; Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Alex Simpson
- Global Access, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Uwe Siebert
- Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria; Center for Health Decision Science and Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Institute for Technology Assessment and Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Schneeweiss S, Schneeweiss M. Concepts of Designing and Implementing Pharmacoepidemiology Studies on the Safety of Systemic Treatments in Dermatology Practice. JID INNOVATIONS 2023; 3:100226. [PMID: 37744690 PMCID: PMC10514213 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2023.100226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and clinical guidelines use evidence from pharmacoepidemiology studies to inform prescribing decisions and fill evidence gaps left by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The long-term safety and infrequent adverse reactions are not well-understood when RCTs are short and involve few patients, as is the case for most systemic immunomodulating drugs in dermatology. A better understanding of the design and implementation of pharmacoepidemiology studies will help practitioners assess the accuracy of etiologic findings and use them with confidence in clinical practice. Conducting pharmacoepidemiology studies follows a structured approach, which we discuss in this article: (i) a design layer connects the research question with the appropriate study design, and considering which hypothetical RCT one ideally would want to conduct reduces inadvertent investigator errors; (ii) a measurement layer transforms longitudinal patient-level data into variables that identify the study population, patient characteristics, treatment, and outcomes; and (iii) the analysis focuses on the causal treatment effect estimation. The review and interpretation of pharmacoepidemiology studies should consider issues beyond a typical review of RCTs, chiefly the lack of baseline randomization and the use of secondary data. Well-designed and well-conducted pharmacoepidemiologic studies complement dermatology practice with critical information on prescribing systemic medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Dermato-Pharmacoepidemiology Work Group, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria Schneeweiss
- Dermato-Pharmacoepidemiology Work Group, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Shin H, Wang SV, Kim DH, Alt E, Mahesri M, Bessette LG, Schneeweiss S, Najafzadeh M. Predicting Treatment Effects of a New-to-Market Drug in Clinical Practice Based on Phase III Randomized Trial Results. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 114:853-861. [PMID: 37365904 PMCID: PMC10851912 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Trial results may not be generalizable to target populations treated in clinical practice with different distributions of baseline characteristics that modify the treatment effect. We used outcome models developed with trial data to predict treatment effects in Medicare populations. We used data from the Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy trial (RE-LY), which investigated the effect of dabigatran vs. warfarin on stroke or systemic embolism (stroke/SE) among patients with atrial fibrillation. We developed outcome models by fitting proportional hazards models in trial data. Target populations were trial-eligible Medicare beneficiaries who initiated dabigatran or warfarin in 2010-2011 ("early") and 2010-2017 ("extended"). We predicted 2-year risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences (RDs) for stroke/SE, major bleeding, and all-cause death in the Medicare populations using the observed baseline characteristics. The trial and early target populations had similar mean (SD) CHADS2 scores (2.15 (SD 1.13) vs. 2.15 (SD 0.91)) but different mean ages (71 vs. 79 years). Compared with RE-LY, the early Medicare population had similar predicted benefit of dabigatran vs. warfarin for stroke/SE (trial RR = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50 to 0.76 and RD = -1.37%, -1.96% to -0.77%, Medicare RR = 0.73, 0.65 to 0.82 and RD = -0.92%, -1.26% to -0.59%) and risks for major bleeding and all-cause death. The time-extended target population showed similar results. Outcome model-based prediction facilitates estimating the average treatment effects of a drug in different target populations when treatment and outcome data are unreliable or unavailable. The predicted effects may inform payers' coverage decisions for patients, especially shortly after a drug's launch when observational data are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- HoJin Shin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Shirley V. Wang
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Dae Hyun Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - Ethan Alt
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Mufaddal Mahesri
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lily G. Bessette
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Mehdi Najafzadeh
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Winterstein AG, Ehrenstein V, Brown JS, Stürmer T, Smith MY. A Road Map for Peer Review of Real-World Evidence Studies on Safety and Effectiveness of Treatments. Diabetes Care 2023; 46:1448-1454. [PMID: 37471605 PMCID: PMC10369122 DOI: 10.2337/dc22-2037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The growing acceptance of real-world evidence (RWE) in clinical and regulatory decision-making, coupled with increasing availability of health care data and advances in automated analytic approaches, has contributed to a marked expansion of RWE studies of diabetes and other diseases. However, a recent spate of high-profile retractions highlights the need for improvements in the conduct of RWE research as well as in the associated peer review and editorial processes. We review best pharmacoepidemiologic practices and common pitfalls regarding design, measurement, analysis, data validity, appropriateness, and generalizability of RWE studies. To enhance RWE study assessments, we propose that journal editors require 1) study authors to complete RECORD-PE, a reporting guideline for pharmacoepidemiological studies on routinely collected data, 2) availability of predetermined study protocols and analysis plans, 3) inclusion of pharmacoepidemiologists on the peer review team, and 4) provision of detail on data provenance, characterization, and custodianship to facilitate assessment of the data source. We recognize that none of these steps guarantees a high-quality research study. Collectively, however, they permit an informed assessment of whether the study was adequately designed and conducted and whether the data source used was fit for purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut G. Winterstein
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Department of Epidemiology, and Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, American College of Epidemiology, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, Bethesda, MD
| | - Vera Ehrenstein
- International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, American College of Epidemiology, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jeffrey S. Brown
- International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, American College of Epidemiology, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
- TriNetX, LLC, Cambridge, MA
| | - Til Stürmer
- International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, American College of Epidemiology, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Meredith Y. Smith
- International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, American College of Epidemiology, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY
- International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, Bethesda, MD
- Evidera, Inc., PPD, Boston, MA
- School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Gregg EW, Patorno E, Karter AJ, Mehta R, Huang ES, White M, Patel CJ, McElvaine AT, Cefalu WT, Selby J, Riddle MC, Khunti K. Use of Real-World Data in Population Science to Improve the Prevention and Care of Diabetes-Related Outcomes. Diabetes Care 2023; 46:1316-1326. [PMID: 37339346 PMCID: PMC10300521 DOI: 10.2337/dc22-1438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
The past decade of population research for diabetes has seen a dramatic proliferation of the use of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) generation from non-research settings, including both health and non-health sources, to influence decisions related to optimal diabetes care. A common attribute of these new data is that they were not collected for research purposes yet have the potential to enrich the information around the characteristics of individuals, risk factors, interventions, and health effects. This has expanded the role of subdisciplines like comparative effectiveness research and precision medicine, new quasi-experimental study designs, new research platforms like distributed data networks, and new analytic approaches for clinical prediction of prognosis or treatment response. The result of these developments is a greater potential to progress diabetes treatment and prevention through the increasing range of populations, interventions, outcomes, and settings that can be efficiently examined. However, this proliferation also carries an increased threat of bias and misleading findings. The level of evidence that may be derived from RWD is ultimately a function of the data quality and the rigorous application of study design and analysis. This report reviews the current landscape and applications of RWD in clinical effectiveness and population health research for diabetes and summarizes opportunities and best practices in the conduct, reporting, and dissemination of RWD to optimize its value and limit its drawbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W. Gregg
- School of Population Health, RRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Andrew J. Karter
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Roopa Mehta
- Metabolic Research Unit (UIEM), Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion, Salvador Zubiran (INCMNSZ), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Elbert S. Huang
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Center for Chronic Disease Research and Policy (CDRP), The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Martin White
- Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K
| | - Chirag J. Patel
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - William T. Cefalu
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Joseph Selby
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Institute, Washington, DC
| | - Matthew C. Riddle
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Clinical Nutrition, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Kamlesh Khunti
- Leicester Real World Evidence Unit, Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
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Yu OHY, Suissa S. Metformin and Cancer: Solutions to a Real-World Evidence Failure. Diabetes Care 2023; 46:904-912. [PMID: 37185680 DOI: 10.2337/dci22-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The quest to repurpose metformin, an antidiabetes drug, as an agent for cancer prevention and treatment, which began in 2005 with an observational study that reported a reduction in cancer incidence among metformin users, generated extensive experimental, observational, and clinical research. Experimental studies revealed that metformin has anticancer effects via various pathways, potentially inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. Concurrently, multiple nonrandomized observational studies reported remarkable reductions in cancer incidence and outcomes with metformin use. However, these studies were shown, in 2012, to be affected by time-related biases, such as immortal time bias, which tend to greatly exaggerate the benefit of a drug. The observational studies that avoided these biases did not find an association. Subsequently, the randomized trials of metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and as adjuvant therapy for the treatment of various cancers, advanced or metastatic, did not find reductions in cancer incidence or outcomes. Most recently, the largest phase 3 randomized trial of metformin as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, which enrolled 3,649 women with a 5-year follow-up, found no benefit for disease-free survival or overall survival with metformin. This major failure of observational real-world evidence studies in correctly assessing the effects of metformin on cancer incidence and outcomes was caused by preventable biases which, surprisingly, are still prominent in 2022. Rigorous approaches for observational studies that emulate randomized trials, such as the incident and prevalent new-user designs along with propensity scores, avoid these biases and can provide more accurate real-world evidence for the repurposing of drugs such as metformin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriana Hoi Yun Yu
- 1Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- 2Division of Endocrinology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- 3Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Samy Suissa
- 1Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- 3Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- 4Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Hydroxychloroquine lowers Alzheimer's disease and related dementias risk and rescues molecular phenotypes related to Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1312-1326. [PMID: 36577843 PMCID: PMC10005941 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01912-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We recently nominated cytokine signaling through the Janus-kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway as a potential AD drug target. As hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has recently been shown to inactivate STAT3, we hypothesized that it may impact AD pathogenesis and risk. Among 109,124 rheumatoid arthritis patients from routine clinical care, HCQ initiation was associated with a lower risk of incident AD compared to methotrexate initiation across 4 alternative analyses schemes addressing specific types of biases including informative censoring, reverse causality, and outcome misclassification (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] of 0.92 [0.83-1.00], 0.87 [0.81-0.93], 0.84 [0.76-0.93], and 0.87 [0.75-1.01]). We additionally show that HCQ exerts dose-dependent effects on late long-term potentiation (LTP) and rescues impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity prior to significant accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration in APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, HCQ treatment enhances microglial clearance of Aβ1-42, lowers neuroinflammation, and reduces tau phosphorylation in cell culture-based phenotypic assays. Finally, we show that HCQ inactivates STAT3 in microglia, neurons, and astrocytes suggesting a plausible mechanism associated with its observed effects on AD pathogenesis. HCQ, a relatively safe and inexpensive drug in current use may be a promising disease-modifying AD treatment. This hypothesis merits testing through adequately powered clinical trials in at-risk individuals during preclinical stages of disease progression.
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Schneeweiss MC, Savage TJ, Wyss R, Jin Y, Schoder K, Merola JF, Sidbury R, Oduol T, Schneeweiss S, Glynn RJ. Risk of Infection in Children With Psoriasis Receiving Treatment With Ustekinumab, Etanercept, or Methotrexate Before and After Labeling Expansion. JAMA Dermatol 2023; 159:289-298. [PMID: 36753234 PMCID: PMC9909570 DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.6325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Importance Psoriasis in children is increasingly treated with systemic medications, yet their risk of serious infection is not well characterized in clinical practice. Pediatric clinical trials for these medications were often small and placebo controlled. Objective To estimate the 6-month rate of infections among children with psoriasis who started treatment with ustekinumab, etanercept, or methotrexate. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used insurance claims data from clinical practices across the US on children aged 17 years or younger with psoriasis who were receiving treatment with a topical medication for psoriasis and started new treatment with ustekinumab, etanercept, or methotrexate. The analysis was stratified by the time before pediatric labeling (2009-2015) and after pediatric approval (2016-2021). Patient follow-up started 1 day after initiating treatment and ended at 6 months. Exposures New treatment with ustekinumab, etanercept, and methotrexate. Main Outcomes and Measures During follow-up, the frequency of inpatient serious infections and outpatient infections requiring treatment was compared. Event rates and rate ratios were estimated after propensity score decile stratification. Results After exclusions, we identified 2338 patients (1368 girls [57.8%]) who initiated new treatment with a targeted immunomodulating agent. In all, 379 patients started treatment with ustekinumab, 779 patients started treatment with etanercept, and 1180 patients started treatment with methotrexate from 2009 through 2021. The propensity score-adjusted incidence rate of serious infection was 18.4 per 1000 person-years (3 events) for ustekinumab users, 25.6 per 1000 person-years (9 events) for etanercept users, and 14.9 per 1000 person-years (8 events) for methotrexate users. The adjusted rate of outpatient infections was 254.9 per 1000 person-years (39 events) for ustekinumab users, 435.7 per 1000 person-years (139 events) for etanercept users, and 433.6 per 1000 person-years (209 events) for methotrexate users. The adjusted rate ratio of outpatient infections was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.41-0.83) for ustekinumab vs etanercept, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.48-0.91) for ustekinumab vs methotrexate, and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.75-1.21) for etanercept vs methotrexate. Rate ratios were similar during the off-label use era and after pediatric labeling. Conclusions and Relevance Among children with psoriasis who started treatment with immunomodulating agents, serious infections were infrequent. This cohort study suggests that there was no increase in the risk of outpatient infections for children who started treatment with ustekinumab compared with etanercept or methotrexate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy J. Savage
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Infectious Disease, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Richard Wyss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yinzhu Jin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Katharina Schoder
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph F. Merola
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert Sidbury
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Theresa Oduol
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert J. Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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An Attempt to Replicate Randomized Trials of Diabetes Treatments Using a Japanese Administrative Claims and Health Checkup Database: A Feasibility Study. Drugs Real World Outcomes 2023:10.1007/s40801-023-00353-7. [PMID: 36725811 DOI: 10.1007/s40801-023-00353-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use of real-world evidence (RWE) has been limited for evaluating effectiveness because of the lack of confidence in its reliability. Examining whether a rigorously designed observational study using real-world data (RWD) can reproduce the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) will provide insights into the implementation of high-quality RWE studies that can produce valid conclusions. OBJECTIVE We aimed to replicate published RCTs using a Japanese claims and health checkup database and examine whether the emulated RWE studies' results agree with those of the original RCTs. METHODS We selected three RCTs on diabetes medications for replication in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study outcome was either the change or percentage change in HbA1c levels from baseline. We designed three observational studies using the RWD to mimic the critical study elements of the respective RCTs as closely as possible. We performed 1:1 propensity score nearest-neighbor matching to balance the groups for potential confounders. The differences in outcomes between the groups and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in each RWE study, and the results were compared with those of the RCT. RESULTS Patient characteristics, such as age, sex, and duration of diabetes, differed between the RWE studies and RCTs. In Trial 1 emulation, the percentage changes in HbA1c levels were larger in the treatment group than in the comparator group (difference -6.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) -11.01 to -1.40). In Trial 2, the change in HbA1c level was larger in the treatment group (difference -0.01; 95% CI -0.25 to 0.23), and in Trial 3, it was smaller in the treatment group (difference 0.46; 95% CI -0.01 to 0.94). These results did not show regulatory or estimate agreement with the RCTs. CONCLUSIONS None of the three emulated RWE studies using this claims and health checkup database reproduced the same conclusions as the RCTs. These discrepancies could largely be attributed to design differences between RWE studies and RCTs, primarily due to the lack of necessary data in the database. This particular RWD source may not be the best fit for evaluating treatment effects using laboratory data as the study outcome.
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Crown W, Dahabreh IJ, Li X, Toh S, Bierer B. Can Observational Analyses of Routinely Collected Data Emulate Randomized Trials? Design and Feasibility of the Observational Patient Evidence for Regulatory Approval Science and Understanding Disease Project. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2023; 26:176-184. [PMID: 35970705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Observational Patient Evidence for Regulatory Approval Science and Understanding Disease (OPERAND) project examines whether real-world data (RWD) can be used to inform regulatory decision making. METHODS OPERAND evaluates whether observational analyses using RWD to emulate index trials can produce effect estimates similar to those of the trials and examines the impact of relaxing the eligibility criteria of the observational analyses to obtain samples that more closely match the real-world populations receiving the treatments. In OPERAND, 2 research teams independently attempt to emulate the ROCKET Atrial Fibrillation and LEAD-2 trials using OptumLabs data. This article describes the design of the project, summarizes the approaches of the 2 research teams, and presents feasibility results for 2 emulations using new-user designs. RESULTS There were differences in the teams' conceptualizations of the emulation, design decisions for cohort identification, and resulting RWD cohorts. These differences occurred even though both teams were guided by the same index trials and had access to the same source of RWD. CONCLUSIONS Reasonable alternative design and analysis approaches may be taken to answer the same research question, even when attempting to emulate the same index trial. Researcher decision making is an understudied and potentially important source of variability across RWD analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Crown
- OptumLabs, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
| | - Issa J Dahabreh
- OptumLabs Visiting Fellow, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Li
- OptumLabs Visiting Fellow, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sengwee Toh
- OptumLabs Visiting Fellow, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Barbara Bierer
- OptumLabs Visiting Fellow, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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12
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Incidence of Bacterial and Nonbacterial Conjunctivitis in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis Treated With Dupilumab: A US Multidatabase Cohort Study. Dermatitis 2022; 33:S73-S82. [PMID: 35170520 PMCID: PMC9376195 DOI: 10.1097/der.0000000000000843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dupilumab-associated conjunctivitis in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) is not fully characterized. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to characterize the incidence of bacterial and nonbacterial conjunctivitis among patients with AD who initiated dupilumab. METHODS Pooling longitudinal claims data from 2 US databases, we identified AD patients who newly filled either dupilumab or methotrexate, mycophenolate or cyclosporine, between March 2017 and January 2020. Outcomes were conjunctivitis and its subtypes, bacterial, allergic, and keratoconjunctivitis. Patient follow-up lasted 6 months and 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching-controlled confounding. RESULTS Within 6 months of treatment initiation, the incidence of conjunctivitis was 6.6% in 3744 dupilumab initiators; bacterial conjunctivitis, 1.5%; allergic conjunctivitis, 2.2%; keratoconjunctivitis, 0.8%; and conjunctivitis requiring ophthalmic medication, 2.7%. After PS matching, dupilumab doubled the risk of conjunctivitis compared with methotrexate (relative risk [RR] 2.12; 1.56-2.91), mycophenolate (RR = 2.43; 1.32-4.47), or cyclosporine (RR = 1.83; 1.05-3.20). Risk of bacterial conjunctivitis was 1.6- to 4.0-fold increased with wide confidence intervals, and allergic conjunctivitis was increased 2.7- to 7-fold. There was no increased risk of keratoconjunctivitis. Patients with comorbid asthma had a further increased risk of conjunctivitis. CONCLUSIONS One in 15 patients treated with dupilumab developed conjunctivitis driven by bacterial and allergic conjunctivitis and not keratoconjunctivitis. This risk was further increased with comorbid asthma.
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13
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Desai RJ, Mahesri M, Lee SB, Varma VR, Loeffler T, Schilcher I, Gerhard T, Segal JB, Ritchey ME, Horton DB, Kim SC, Schneeweiss S, Thambisetty M. No association between initiation of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and related dementia: results from the Drug Repurposing for Effective Alzheimer's Medicines study. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac247. [PMID: 36330433 PMCID: PMC9598543 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, including sildenafil and tadalafil, may be associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia using a patient-level cohort study of Medicare claims and cell culture-based phenotypic assays. We compared incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia after phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor initiation versus endothelin receptor antagonist initiation among patients with pulmonary hypertension after controlling for 76 confounding variables through propensity score matching. Across four separate analytic approaches designed to address specific types of biases including informative censoring, reverse causality, and outcome misclassification, we observed no evidence for a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors;hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.99 (0.69-1.43), 1.00 (0.71-1.42), 0.67 (0.43-1.06), and 1.15 (0.57-2.34). We also did not observe evidence that sildenafil ameliorated molecular abnormalities relevant to Alzheimer's disease in most cell culture-based phenotypic assays. These results do not provide support to the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are promising repurposing candidates for Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi J Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mufaddal Mahesri
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Su Been Lee
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vijay R Varma
- Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Tina Loeffler
- QPS Austria GmbH, Parkring 12, 8074 Grambach, Austria
| | | | - Tobias Gerhard
- Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jodi B Segal
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mary E Ritchey
- Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Daniel B Horton
- Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Seoyoung C Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Madhav Thambisetty
- Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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14
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Htoo PT, Tesfaye H, Schneeweiss S, Wexler DJ, Everett BM, Glynn RJ, Kim SC, Najafzadeh M, Koeneman L, Farsani SF, Déruaz-Luyet A, Paik JM, Patorno E. Comparative Effectiveness of Empagliflozin vs Liraglutide or Sitagliptin in Older Adults With Diverse Patient Characteristics. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2237606. [PMID: 36264574 PMCID: PMC9585433 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.37606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Limited evidence is available on the comparative effectiveness of empagliflozin vs alternative second-line glucose-lowering agents in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving routine care who have a broad spectrum of cardiorenal risk. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of empagliflozin with cardiovascular outcomes relative to liraglutide and sitagliptin, stratified by age, sex, baseline atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure (HF), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective comparative effectiveness cohort study used deidentified Medicare claims data from August 1, 2014, to September 30, 2018, with follow-up from drug initiation until treatment changes, death, or gap in Medicare enrollment (>30 days). Data analysis was performed from October 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries older than 65 years with T2D were included. A total of 45 788 patients (22 894 propensity score-matched pairs initiating treatment with either empagliflozin or liraglutide) were included in cohort 1, and 45 624 patients (22 812 propensity score-matched pairs initiating treatment with either empagliflozin or sitagliptin) were included in cohort 2. EXPOSURES Empagliflozin vs liraglutide (cohort 1) or empagliflozin vs sitagliptin (cohort 2). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Primary outcomes were (1) modified major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality, and (2) hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). Hazard ratios (HRs) and rate differences (RDs) per 1000 person-years were estimated, adjusting for 143 baseline covariates using 1:1 propensity score matching. RESULTS Among 45 788 patients in cohort 1, the mean (SD) age was 71.9 (5.1) years; 23 396 patients (51.1%) were female, 22 392 (48.9%) were male, and 38 049 (83.1%) were White. Among 45 624 patients in cohort 2, the mean (SD) age was 72.1 (5.1) years; 21 418 patients (46.9%) were female, 24 206 (53.1%) were male, and 37 814 (82.9%) were White. Relative to patients initiating liraglutide, those initiating empagliflozin had a similar risk of the modified MACE outcome (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.79-1.03) and a reduced risk of HHF (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.52-0.82). Across subgroups, empagliflozin was associated with a lower risk of the modified MACE outcome in patients with a history of ASCVD (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98) and HF (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60-1.00) compared with liraglutide, and potential heterogeneity in estimates was observed by sex (male: HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.71-1.01]; female: HR, 1.16 [95% CI, 0.94-1.42]; P = .02 for homogeneity). However, reductions in the risk of HHF were observed across most subgroups (eg, ASCVD: HR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.51-0.85]; HF: HR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.49-0.88]). Compared with sitagliptin, empagliflozin was associated with reduced risks of the modified MACE outcome (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60-0.77) and HHF (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.36-0.56), which were consistent across all subgroups. Absolute benefits of empagliflozin vs sitagliptin were larger in patients with a history of ASCVD (modified MACE: RD, -17.6 [95% CI, -24.9 to -10.4]; HHF: RD, -16.7 [95% CI, -21.7 to -11.9]), HF (modified MACE: RD, -41.1 [95% CI, -59.9 to -22.6]; HHF: RD, -50.4 [95% CI, -67.5 to -33.9]), or CKD (modified MACE: RD, -26.7 [95% CI, -41.3 to -12.3]; HHF: RD, -31.9 [95% CI, -43.5 to -20.8]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this comparative effectiveness study of older adults, empagliflozin was associated with a lower risk of HHF (relative to both liraglutide and sitagliptin) and the modified MACE outcome (relative to sitagliptin), with larger absolute benefits in patients with established cardiorenal diseases. These findings suggest that older adults with T2D might benefit more from empagliflozin vs liraglutide or sitagliptin with respect to the risk of HHF; with respect to the risk of MACEs, empagliflozin might be preferable to liraglutide only in patients with cardiovascular disease history and to sitagliptin across all patient subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyo T. Htoo
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Helen Tesfaye
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah J. Wexler
- Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brendan M. Everett
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert J. Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Seoyoung C. Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mehdi Najafzadeh
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Anouk Déruaz-Luyet
- Global Epidemiology, Boehringer Ingelheim International, Ingelheim am Rheim, Germany
| | - Julie M. Paik
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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15
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Wang SV, Pottegård A, Crown W, Arlett P, Ashcroft DM, Benchimol EI, Berger ML, Crane G, Goettsch W, Hua W, Kabadi S, Kern DM, Kurz X, Langan S, Nonaka T, Orsini L, Perez-Gutthann S, Pinheiro S, Pratt N, Schneeweiss S, Toussi M, Williams RJ. HARmonized Protocol Template to Enhance Reproducibility of Hypothesis Evaluating Real-World Evidence Studies on Treatment Effects: A Good Practices Report of a Joint ISPE/ISPOR Task Force. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2022; 25:1663-1672. [PMID: 36241338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ambiguity in communication of key study parameters limits the utility of real-world evidence (RWE) studies in healthcare decision-making. Clear communication about data provenance, design, analysis, and implementation is needed. This would facilitate reproducibility, replication in independent data, and assessment of potential sources of bias. METHODS The International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) and ISPOR-The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) convened a joint task force, including representation from key international stakeholders, to create a harmonized protocol template for RWE studies that evaluate a treatment effect and are intended to inform decision-making. The template builds on existing efforts to improve transparency and incorporates recent insights regarding the level of detail needed to enable RWE study reproducibility. The over-arching principle was to reach for sufficient clarity regarding data, design, analysis, and implementation to achieve 3 main goals. One, to help investigators thoroughly consider, then document their choices and rationale for key study parameters that define the causal question (e.g., target estimand), two, to facilitate decision-making by enabling reviewers to readily assess potential for biases related to these choices, and three, to facilitate reproducibility. STRATEGIES TO DISSEMINATE AND FACILITATE USE Recognizing that the impact of this harmonized template relies on uptake, we have outlined a plan to introduce and pilot the template with key international stakeholders over the next 2 years. CONCLUSION The HARmonized Protocol Template to Enhance Reproducibility (HARPER) helps to create a shared understanding of intended scientific decisions through a common text, tabular and visual structure. The template provides a set of core recommendations for clear and reproducible RWE study protocols and is intended to be used as a backbone throughout the research process from developing a valid study protocol, to registration, through implementation and reporting on those implementation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley V Wang
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Eric I Benchimol
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Paediatrics and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Wim Goettsch
- The National Health Care Institute, Diemen, The Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Hua
- US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Springs, Maryland, USA
| | - Shaum Kabadi
- Sanofi-Aventis US LLC, North Potomac, Maryland, USA
| | - David M Kern
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Simone Pinheiro
- US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Springs, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicole Pratt
- Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, South Australia, Australia
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16
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Lee YC, Dong YH, Yang WS, Wu LC, Lin JW, Chang CH. Risk of major adverse limb events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A population-based retrospective cohort study. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:869804. [PMID: 36176438 PMCID: PMC9513310 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.869804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Both sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have cardiovascular protective effects in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the comparative risk of GLP-1RA versus SGLT-2i for major adverse limb events remains unknown. Materials and methods: We studied a nationwide cohort involving 123,048 diabetes patients 20–100 years of age who initiated a SGLT-2i or GLP-1RA during 2012 and 2017. The patients in the two groups were matched by propensity score (PS), and incidence rates for hospitalization for major adverse limb events, critical limb ischemia (CLI) and lower extremity amputation (LEA), were assessed. Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) between patients receiving SGLT-2i as compared with GLP-1RA. The modification effects of age, a history of established cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease were examined. In addition, use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) was chosen as a second active comparator. Results: After PS-matching, a total of 13,378 SGLT-2i and 13,378 GLP-1RA initiators were identified. Use of SGLT-2i was not associated with an increased risk for hospitalization for CLI and LEA, either compared with GLP-1RA (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.77–1.65 and 1.27; 95% CI, 0.63–2.55, respectively) or compared with DPP-4i use (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.75–1.50 and HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.42–1.53, respectively). Although the study was underpowered to explore potential effect modification, a trend of higher risks for LEA was noted among SGLT-2i users with cardiovascular disease as compared with either GLP-1RA or DPP-4i. Conclusion: Use of SGLT-2i was not associated with higher risks for hospitalization for CLI and LEA as compared with reference drugs. Further large-scale studies are needed for a precise risk estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chieh Lee
- Department of Family Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yaa-Hui Dong
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Shun Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
- The Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chiu Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jou-Wei Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Taiwan
- Cardiovascular Center, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Jou-Wei Lin, ; Chia-Hsuin Chang,
| | - Chia-Hsuin Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Jou-Wei Lin, ; Chia-Hsuin Chang,
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17
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Kirchgesner J, Desai RJ, Schneeweiss MC, Beaugerie L, Schneeweiss S, Kim SC. Decreased risk of treatment failure with vedolizumab and thiopurines combined compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in Crohn's disease. Gut 2022; 71:1781-1789. [PMID: 35387877 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While infliximab combined to thiopurines is more effective than infliximab monotherapy in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and UC, the impact of adding thiopurines to vedolizumab remains controversial. We emulated two target trials comparing the effectiveness of combination therapy versus vedolizumab monotherapy in CD and UC. DESIGN Based on two US and the French nationwide healthcare databases, patients with CD and UC who initiated vedolizumab were identified. The study methodology, including confounding adjustment and outcome definitions, were previously validated in successful emulations of the SONIC and SUCCESS trials. Risk ratios for treatment failure based on hospitalisation or surgery related to disease activity, treatment switch, or prolonged corticosteroids use, were estimated after 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching. RESULTS Among a total of 10 299 vedolizumab users, 804 CD and 1088 UC pairs of combination therapy versus vedolizumab monotherapy users were PS matched. Treatment failure occurred at week 26 in 236 (29.3%) and 376 (34.3%) patients with CD and at week 16 in 236 (21.7%) and 263 (24.2%) patients with UC initiating combination therapy and vedolizumab monotherapy, respectively. The risk of treatment failure was decreased with combination therapy compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in CD (RR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.98) and to a lesser extent in UC (RR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.05). Findings were consistent across databases. CONCLUSION Using validated methodologies, combination therapy with vedolizumab and thiopurines was associated with lower treatment failure compared with vedolizumab monotherapy in CD but not UC across the USA and France.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Kirchgesner
- Gastroenterology, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France .,Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France.,Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rishi J Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria C Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurent Beaugerie
- Gastroenterology, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Seoyoung C Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Wang SV, Sreedhara SK, Schneeweiss S. Reproducibility of real-world evidence studies using clinical practice data to inform regulatory and coverage decisions. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5126. [PMID: 36045130 PMCID: PMC9430007 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies that generate real-world evidence on the effects of medical products through analysis of digital data collected in clinical practice provide key insights for regulators, payers, and other healthcare decision-makers. Ensuring reproducibility of such findings is fundamental to effective evidence-based decision-making. We reproduce results for 150 studies published in peer-reviewed journals using the same healthcare databases as original investigators and evaluate the completeness of reporting for 250. Original and reproduction effect sizes were positively correlated (Pearson’s correlation = 0.85), a strong relationship with some room for improvement. The median and interquartile range for the relative magnitude of effect (e.g., hazard ratiooriginal/hazard ratioreproduction) is 1.0 [0.9, 1.1], range [0.3, 2.1]. While the majority of results are closely reproduced, a subset are not. The latter can be explained by incomplete reporting and updated data. Greater methodological transparency aligned with new guidance may further improve reproducibility and validity assessment, thus facilitating evidence-based decision-making. Study registration number: EUPAS19636. Analyses of real-world evidence from digital clinical practice data provide important insights for healthcare decision makers. Here, authors test reproducibility of 150 peer-reviewed studies, reporting strong reproducibility, which could be further improved through more complete reporting in future original studies
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley V Wang
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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A Comparison of Individuals with Diabetes and EMPA-REG Trial Participants: Exploring Aspects of External Validity. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:2744-2750. [PMID: 35031947 PMCID: PMC9411404 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing use of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to treat diabetes. Since trials apply specific entry and exclusion criteria to ensure internal validity, comparisons of trial populations with nationally representative samples can inform the applicability of study findings to practice. OBJECTIVE To compare individuals with diabetes from a nationally representative sample to patients who underwent randomization in the EMPA-REG trial. A secondary aim was to characterize what proportion of individuals prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor in a nationally representative sample would have been included in the EMPA-REG trial. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS Adults with diabetes who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011-2014 (primary analysis corresponding to EMPA-REG enrollment) and 2015-2018 (secondary analysis corresponding to contemporary sample). MAIN MEASURES The primary outcome was a comparison of demographic (age, sex, ethnicity, and pregnancy status), clinical (comorbidities and medication use), examination (weight, body mass index, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure), and laboratory (hgba1c, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and estimated glomerular filtration rate) characteristics of NHANES respondents versus EMPA-REG trial participants. The secondary outcome was the proportion of NHANES respondents who had been prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor that would have met inclusion criteria for the EMPA-REG trial. KEY RESULTS There were 655 and 48 respondents, representing a weighted sample of 21,849,775 and 1,062,573 individuals, included in the primary and secondary analyses, respectively. Overall, 7.6% (95% CI 4.8-10.6%) of 2011-2014 NHANES respondents would have met all EMPA-REG trial inclusion criteria. NHANES respondents and EMPA-REG participants differed across demographic, clinical, examination, and laboratory domains. Of NHANES respondents from 2015 to 2018 who were prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor, 10.6% (95% CI <1-24.7%) would have met all inclusion criteria for the EMPA-REG trial. CONCLUSIONS The EMPA-REG population differed from a nationally representative sample, which could affect generalizability.
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Landgraf R, Aberle J, Birkenfeld AL, Gallwitz B, Kellerer M, Klein H, Müller-Wieland D, Nauck MA, Wiesner T, Siegel E. Therapy of Type 2 Diabetes. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022; 130:S80-S112. [PMID: 35839797 DOI: 10.1055/a-1624-3449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jens Aberle
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, University Obesity Centre Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | | | - Baptist Gallwitz
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany
| | - Monika Kellerer
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Harald Klein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk Müller-Wieland
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael A Nauck
- Diabetes Centre Bochum-Hattingen, St.-Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Erhard Siegel
- Department of Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology, Diabetology/Endocrinology and Nutritional Medicine, St. Josefkrankenhaus Heidelberg GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
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21
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Therapie des Typ-2-Diabetes. DIE DIABETOLOGIE 2022. [PMCID: PMC9191539 DOI: 10.1007/s11428-022-00921-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Shin H, Schneeweiss S, Glynn RJ, Patorno E. Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients Initiating First-Line Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes With Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors Versus Metformin : A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med 2022; 175:927-937. [PMID: 35605236 DOI: 10.7326/m21-4012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence on the risk for cardiovascular events associated with use of first-line sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) compared with metformin is limited. OBJECTIVE To assess cardiovascular outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who initiated first-line treatment with SGLT-2i versus metformin. DESIGN Population-based cohort study. SETTING Claims data from 2 large U.S. commercial and Medicare databases (April 2013 to March 2020). PARTICIPANTS Patients with T2D aged 18 years and older (>65 years in Medicare) initiating treatment with SGLT-2i or metformin during April 2013 to March 2020, without any use of antidiabetic medications before cohort entry, were identified. After 1:2 propensity score matching in each database, pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were reported. INTERVENTION First-line SGLT-2i (canagliflozin, empagliflozin, or dapagliflozin) or metformin. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes were a composite of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI), hospitalization for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or all-cause mortality (MI/stroke/mortality), and a composite of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) or all-cause mortality (HHF/mortality). Safety outcomes including genital infections were assessed. RESULTS Among 8613 first-line SGLT-2i initiators matched to 17 226 metformin initiators, SGLT-2i initiators had a similar risk for MI/stroke/mortality (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.19) and a lower risk for HHF/mortality (HR, 0.80; CI, 0.66 to 0.97) during a mean follow-up of 12 months. Initiators receiving SGLT-2i showed a lower risk for HHF (HR, 0.78; CI, 0.63 to 0.97), a numerically lower risk for MI (HR, 0.70; CI, 0.48 to 1.00), and similar risk for stroke, mortality, and MI/stroke/HHF/mortality compared with metformin. Initiators receiving SGLT-2i had a higher risk for genital infections (HR, 2.19; CI, 1.91 to 2.51) and otherwise similar safety as those receiving metformin. LIMITATION Treatment selection was not randomized. CONCLUSION As first-line T2D treatment, initiators receiving SGLT-2i showed a similar risk for MI/stroke/mortality, lower risk for HHF/mortality and HHF, and a similar safety profile except for an increased risk for genital infections compared with those receiving metformin. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
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Affiliation(s)
- HoJin Shin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (H.S., R.J.G., E.P.)
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (S.S.)
| | - Robert J Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (H.S., R.J.G., E.P.)
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (H.S., R.J.G., E.P.)
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23
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Schneeweiss MC, Kirchgesner J, Wyss R, Jin Y, York C, Merola JF, Mostaghimi A, Silverberg JI, Schneeweiss S, Glynn RJ. Occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases: a cohort study. Br J Dermatol 2022; 187:692-703. [PMID: 35718888 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.21704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies linked various chronic inflammatory skin diseases (CISDs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in a range of data sources with mixed conclusions. OBJECTIVE We compared the incidence of IBD-ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD)- in patients with a CISD versus similar persons without a CISD. METHODS In this cohort study using nationwide, longitudinal, commercial insurance claims data from the US, we identified adults and children who were seen by a dermatologist between 2004-2020, and diagnosed with either psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, or hidradenitis suppurativa. Comparator patients were identified through risk-set sampling; they were eligible if they were seen by a dermatologist at least twice and not diagnosed with a CISD. Patient follow-up lasted until either IBD diagnosis, death, disenrollment, or end of data stream, whichever came first. IBD events, ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's (CD), were identified via validated algorithms-hospitalization or diagnosis with endoscopic confirmation. Incidence rates were computed before and after adjustment via propensity-score (PS) decile stratification to account for IBD risk factors. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated to compare the incidence of IBD in CISD versus non-CISD. RESULTS We identified patients with atopic dermatitis (n=123,614), psoriasis (n=83,049), alopecia areata (n=18,135), vitiligo (n=9,003) or hidradenitis suppurativa (n=6,806), and comparator patients without a CISD (n=2,376,120). During a median follow-up time of 718 days, and after applying PS adjustment for IBD risk factors, we observed increased risk of both UC (HRUC =2.30; 1.61-3.28) and CD (HRCD =2.70; 1.69-4.32) in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, an increased risk of CD (HRCD =1.23; 1.03-1.46) but not UC (HRUC =1.01; 0.89-1.14) in psoriasis, and no increased risk of IBD in atopic dermatitis (HRUC =1.02; 0.92-1.12, HRCD =1.08; 0.94-1.23), alopecia areata (HRUC =1.18; 0.89-1.56, HRCD =1.26; 0.86-1.86) or vitiligo (HRUC =1.14; 0.77-1.68, HRCD =1.45; 0.87-2.41). CONCLUSIONS IBD was increased in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. Crohn's disease alone was increased in patients with psoriasis. Neither ulcerative colitis nor Crohn's disease was increased in patients with atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata or vitiligo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julien Kirchgesner
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard Wyss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yinzhu Jin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cassandra York
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph F Merola
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arash Mostaghimi
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan I Silverberg
- Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert J Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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24
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Lai ECC, Lin TC, Lange JL, Chen L, Wong ICK, Sing CW, Cheung CL, Shao SC, Yang YHK. Effectiveness of denosumab for fracture prevention in real-world postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a retrospective cohort study. Osteoporos Int 2022; 33:1155-1164. [PMID: 35032187 PMCID: PMC9007768 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-021-06291-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
To determine denosumab's effectiveness for fracture prevention among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in East Asia, the risk of fracture was compared between patients continuing denosumab therapy versus patients discontinuing denosumab after one dose. The real-world effectiveness was observed to be consistent with the efficacy demonstrated in the phase III trial. INTRODUCTION After therapeutic efficacy is demonstrated for subjects in global clinical trials, real-world evidence may provide complementary knowledge of therapeutic effectiveness in a heterogeneous mix of patients seen in clinical practice. This retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the fracture risk in real-world clinical care received in Taiwan and Hong Kong between a treatment cohort (patients receiving denosumab 60 mg subcutaneously every 6 months) versus an off-treatment cohort (patients discontinuing after 1 dose of denosumab, which has no known clinical benefit) among real-world postmenopausal women. METHODS This study included 38,906 and 2,835 postmenopausal women receiving denosumab in Taiwan and Hong Kong, respectively. The primary endpoint was hip fracture, and secondary endpoints were clinical vertebral and nonvertebral fractures. Propensity-score-matched analysis, adjusting for known covariates, was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The robustness of findings was evaluated with a series of sensitivity and quantitative bias analyses. RESULTS In this study, 554 hip fractures were included in the primary Taiwan population analysis. The crude incidence rate was 0.9 per 100 person-years in the treatment cohort (n = 25,059) and 1.7 per 100 person-years in the off-treatment cohort (n = 13,847). After adjusting for prognostic differences between cohorts, denosumab reduced the risk of hip fractures by 38% (HR = 0.62, CI:0.52-0.75). Risk reductions of similar magnitude were observed for the secondary endpoints and for the analysis of the smaller Hong Kong population. CONCLUSION The effectiveness of denosumab for fracture reduction among real-world postmenopausal women with osteoporosis was consistent with the efficacy demonstrated in a global clinical trial. REGISTRATION EnCePP registration number: EUPAS26372; registration date: 12/11/2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- E C-C Lai
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1, University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan
| | - T-C Lin
- Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | | | - L Chen
- Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - I C K Wong
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - C-W Sing
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - C-L Cheung
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - S-C Shao
- Department of Pharmacy, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Y-H Kao Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1, University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan.
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25
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Desai RJ, Varma VR, Gerhard T, Segal J, Mahesri M, Chin K, Horton DB, Kim SC, Schneeweiss S, Thambisetty M. Comparative Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Targeted Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Agents. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e226567. [PMID: 35394510 PMCID: PMC8994126 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cytokine signaling, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-6, through the Janus-kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway, was hypothesized to attenuate the risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD) in the Drug Repurposing for Effective Alzheimer Medicines (DREAM) initiative based on multiomics phenotyping. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between treatment with tofacitinib, tocilizumab, or TNF inhibitors compared with abatacept and risk of incident ADRD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study was conducted among US Medicare fee-for-service patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 65 years and older from 2007 to 2017. Patients were categorized into 3 cohorts based on initiation of tofacitinib (a JAK inhibitor), tocilizumab (an IL-6 inhibitor), or TNF inhibitors compared with a common comparator abatacept (a T-cell activation inhibitor). Analyses were conducted from August 2020 to August 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcome was onset of ADRD based on diagnosis codes evaluated in 4 alternative analysis schemes: (1) an as-treated follow-up approach, (2) an as-started follow-up approach incorporating a 6-month induction period, (3) incorporating a 6-month symptom to diagnosis period to account for misclassification of ADRD onset, and (4) identifying ADRD through symptomatic prescriptions and diagnosis codes. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were calculated from Cox proportional hazard regression after adjustment for 79 preexposure characteristics through propensity score matching. RESULTS After 1:1 propensity score matching to patients using abatacept, a total of 22 569 propensity score-matched patient pairs, including 4224 tofacitinib pairs (mean [SD] age 72.19 [5.65] years; 6945 [82.2%] women), 6369 tocilizumab pairs (mean [SD] age 72.01 [5.46] years; 10 105 [79.4%] women), and 11 976 TNF inhibitor pairs (mean [SD] age 72.67 [5.91] years; 19 710 [82.3%] women), were assessed. Incidence rates of ADRD varied from 2 to 18 per 1000 person-years across analyses schemes. There were no statistically significant associations of ADRD with tofacitinib (analysis 1: HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.55-1.51]; analysis 2: HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.53-1.13]; analysis 3: HR, 1.29 [95% CI, 0.72-2.33]; analysis 4: HR, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.21-1.20]), tocilizumab (analysis 1: HR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.55-1.21]; analysis 2: HR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.81-1.35]; analysis 3: HR, 1.21 [95% CI, 0.75-1.96]; analysis 4: HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.44-1.39]), or TNF inhibitors (analysis 1: HR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.72-1.20]; analysis 2: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.86-1.20]; analysis 3: HR, 1.13 [95% CI, 0.86-1.48]; analysis 4: 0.90 [95% CI, 0.60-1.37]) compared with abatacept. Results from prespecified subgroup analysis by age, sex, and baseline cardiovascular disease were consistent except in patients with cardiovascular disease, for whom there was a potentially lower risk of ADRD with TNF inhibitors vs abatacept, but only in analyses 2 and 4 (analysis 1: HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.50-1.16]; analysis 2: HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.56-0.99]; analysis 3: HR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.65-1.61]; analysis 4: HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.21-0.98]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study did not find any association of risk of ADRD in patients treated with tofacitinib, tocilizumab, or TNF inhibitors compared with abatacept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi J. Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vijay R. Varma
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tobias Gerhard
- Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Jodi Segal
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mufaddal Mahesri
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kristyn Chin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel B. Horton
- Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Seoyoung C. Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Madhav Thambisetty
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
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Polinski JM, Weckstein AR, Batech M, Kabelac C, Kamath T, Harvey R, Jain S, Rassen JA, Khan N, Schneeweiss S. Durability of the Single-Dose Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine in the Prevention of COVID-19 Infections and Hospitalizations in the US Before and During the Delta Variant Surge. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e222959. [PMID: 35297969 PMCID: PMC8931562 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.2959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is critical to control the pandemic. Randomized clinical trials demonstrated efficacy of the single-dose Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine, but data on longer-term protection in clinical practice and effectiveness against variants are needed. OBJECTIVE To assess the association between receiving the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine and COVID-19-related infections and hospitalizations before and during the Delta variant surge. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study included adults aged 18 years and older who were newly Ad26.COV2.S-vaccinated matched to as many as 10 unvaccinated individuals by date, location, age, sex, and comorbidity index. This was followed by 1:4 propensity score matching on COVID-19 risk factors. Data were collected from US insurance claims data from March 1, 2020, through August 31, 2021. EXPOSURES Vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S vs no vaccination. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated for recorded COVID-19 infection and COVID-19-related hospitalization, nationwide and in subgroups by age, high-risk factors, calendar time, and states with high incidences of the Delta variant. VE estimates were corrected for underrecording of vaccinations in insurance data. RESULTS Among 422 034 vaccinated individuals (mean [SD] age, 54.7 [17.4] years; 236 437 [56.0%] women) and 1 645 397 matched unvaccinated individuals (mean [SD] age, 54.5 [17.5] years; 922 937 [56.1%] women), VE was 76% (95% CI, 75%-77%) for COVID-19 infections and 81% (95% CI, 78%-82%) for COVID-19-related hospitalizations. VE was stable for at least 180 days after vaccination and over calendar time. Among states with high Delta variant incidence, VE during June to August 2021 was 74% (95% CI, 71%-77%) for infections and 81% (95% CI, 75%-86%) for hospitalizations. VE for COVID-19 was higher in individuals younger than 65 years (78%; 95% CI, 77%-79%) and lower in immunocompromised patients (64%; 95% CI, 59%-68%). All estimates were corrected for vaccination underrecording; uncorrected VE, which served as a lower bound, was 66% (95% CI, 64%-67%) for any recorded COVID-19 infection and 72% (95% CI, 69%-74%) for COVID-19-related hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study in US clinical practice showed stable VE of Ad26.COV2.S for at least 6 months before as well as during the time the Delta variant emerged and became dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carly Kabelac
- Department of Science, Aetion Inc, New York, New York
| | - Tripthi Kamath
- Janssen Research and Development Data Science, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | - Raymond Harvey
- Janssen Research and Development Data Science, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | - Sid Jain
- Janssen Research and Development Data Science, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Najat Khan
- Janssen Research and Development Data Science, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Department of Science, Aetion Inc, New York, New York
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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27
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Htoo PT, Buse J, Cavender M, Wang T, Pate V, Edwards J, Stürmer T. Cardiovascular Effectiveness of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Older Patients in Routine Clinical Care With or Without History of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases or Heart Failure. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e022376. [PMID: 35132865 PMCID: PMC9245812 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.022376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Randomized trials demonstrate the cardioprotective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA). We evaluated their relative cardiovascular effectiveness in routine care populations with a broad spectrum of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or heart failure (HF). Methods and Results We identified Medicare beneficiaries from 2013 to 2017, aged >65 years, initiating SGLT2i (n=24 747) or GLP-1RA (n=22 596) after a 1-year baseline. On the basis of diagnoses during baseline, we classified patients into: (1) no HF or CVD, (2) HF but no CVD, (3) no HF but CVD, and (4) both HF and CVD. We identified hospitalized HF and atherosclerotic CVD outcomes from drug initiation until treatment changes, death, or disenrollment. We estimated propensity score-weighted 2-year risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences, accounting for measured confounding, informative censoring, and competing risk. In patients with no CVD or HF, SGLT2i reduced the hospitalized HF risk compared with GLP-1RA (propensity score-weighted RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43-0.96). The association was strongest in those who had HF but no CVD (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.25-0.85). The combined myocardial infarction, stroke, and mortality outcome risk was slightly higher for SGLT2i compared with GLP-1RA in those without CVD or HF (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09-1.56). The association was favorable toward SGLT2i in subgroups with a history of HF. Conclusions SGLT2i reduced the cardiovascular risk versus GLP-1RA in patients with a history of HF but no CVD. Atherosclerotic CVD events were less frequent with GLP-1RA in those without prior CVD or HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyo T. Htoo
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and PharmacoeconomicsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMA
| | - John Buse
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillSchool of MedicineChapel HillNC
| | - Matthew Cavender
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillSchool of MedicineChapel HillNC
| | - Tiansheng Wang
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillGillings School of Global Public HealthChapel HillNC
| | - Virginia Pate
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillGillings School of Global Public HealthChapel HillNC
| | - Jess Edwards
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillGillings School of Global Public HealthChapel HillNC
| | - Til Stürmer
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillGillings School of Global Public HealthChapel HillNC
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Yap TA, Jacobs I, Baumfeld Andre E, Lee LJ, Beaupre D, Azoulay L. Application of Real-World Data to External Control Groups in Oncology Clinical Trial Drug Development. Front Oncol 2022; 11:695936. [PMID: 35070951 PMCID: PMC8771908 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.695936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess overall survival are considered the "gold standard" when evaluating the efficacy and safety of a new oncology intervention. However, single-arm trials that use surrogate endpoints (e.g., objective response rate or duration of response) to evaluate clinical benefit have become the basis for accelerated or breakthrough regulatory approval of precision oncology drugs for cases where the target and research populations are relatively small. Interpretation of efficacy in single-arm trials can be challenging because such studies lack a standard-of-care comparator arm. Although an external control group can be based on data from other clinical trials, using an external control group based on data collected outside of a trial may not only offer an alternative to both RCTs and uncontrolled single-arm trials, but it may also help improve decision-making by study sponsors or regulatory authorities. Hence, leveraging real-world data (RWD) to construct external control arms in clinical trials that investigate the efficacy and safety of drug interventions in oncology has become a topic of interest. Herein, we review the benefits and challenges associated with the use of RWD to construct external control groups, and the relevance of RWD to early oncology drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Yap
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ira Jacobs
- Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, United States
| | | | | | | | - Laurent Azoulay
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health and Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Shin H, Schneeweiss S, Glynn RJ, Patorno E. Evolving channeling in prescribing SGLT-2 inhibitors as first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2022; 31:566-576. [PMID: 34985178 PMCID: PMC8989653 DOI: 10.1002/pds.5406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) are increasingly being considered as first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The benefits of SGLT-2i from cardiovascular outcome trials may lead to preferential prescribing of SGLT-2i to patients at high cardiovascular risk, possibly causing confounding in non-randomized studies of SGLT-2i as first-line treatment. We assessed evolving imbalances in characteristics of patients starting SGLT-2i versus metformin as first-line monotherapy. METHODS Using claims data from two US commercial health insurance and Medicare, we identified patients with T2D aged ≥18 years (>65 years in Medicare) initiating first-line SGLT-2i or metformin from 2013 through 2019. Standardized differences (SDs) for patient characteristics were assessed during four consecutive calendar time blocks (T1:4/2013-12/2014; T2:1/2015-6/2016; T3:7/2016-12/2017; and T4:1/2018-12/2019). We also estimated the propensity score of receiving SGLT-2i versus metformin within each time block and evaluated time trends in model discrimination with c-statistics. RESULTS We identified 9113 initiators of first-line SGLT-2i and 810 348 initiators of first-line metformin. During T1, SGLT-2i initiators were younger (SD = -0.24) and less likely to have seen cardiologists (-0.07) with a similar prevalence of CVD (0.04) compared with metformin. During T4, patients were more balanced for age (-0.01). Cardiologist visits (0.08) and CVD (0.25) became more prevalent among SGLT-2i initiators. CONCLUSIONS When comparing initiators of first-line SGLT-2i versus metformin, imbalances in patient characteristics evolved from 2013 through 2019, particularly channeling SGLT-2i to individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Evolving channeling in prescribing first-line SGLT-2i should be expected and accounted for in non-randomized comparative effectiveness research.
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Affiliation(s)
- HoJin Shin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert J Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Bykov K, Patorno E, D’Andrea E, He M, Lee H, Graff JS, Franklin JM. Prevalence of Avoidable and Bias-Inflicting Methodological Pitfalls in Real-World Studies of Medication Safety and Effectiveness. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2022; 111:209-217. [PMID: 34260087 PMCID: PMC8678198 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Many real-word evidence (RWE) studies that utilize existing healthcare data to evaluate treatment effects incur substantial but avoidable bias from methodologically flawed study design; however, the extent of preventable methodological pitfalls in current RWE is unknown. To characterize the prevalence of avoidable methodological pitfalls with potential for bias in published claims-based studies of medication safety or effectiveness, we conducted an English-language search of PubMed for articles published from January 1, 2010 to May 20, 2019 and randomly selected 75 studies (10 case-control and 65 cohort studies) that evaluated safety or effectiveness of cardiovascular, diabetes, or osteoporosis medications using US health insurance claims. General and methodological study characteristics were extracted independently by two reviewers, and potential for bias was assessed across nine bias domains. Nearly all studies (95%) had at least one avoidable methodological issue known to incur bias, and 81% had potentially at least one of the four issues considered major due to their potential to undermine study validity: time-related bias (57%), potential for depletion of outcome-susceptible individuals (44%), inappropriate adjustment for postbaseline variables (41%), or potential for reverse causation (39%). The median number of major issues per study was 2 (interquartile range (IQR), 1-3) and was lower in cohort studies with a new-user, active-comparator design (median 1, IQR 0-1) than in cohort studies of prevalent users with a nonuser comparator (median 3, IQR 3-4). Recognizing and avoiding known methodological study design pitfalls could substantially improve the utility of RWE and confidence in its validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsiaryna Bykov
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;,Correspondence: Katsiaryna Bykov ()
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elvira D’Andrea
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mengdong He
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hemin Lee
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Jessica M. Franklin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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31
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Wang SV, Schneeweiss S. Assessing and Interpreting Real-World Evidence Studies: Introductory Points for New Reviewers. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2022; 111:145-149. [PMID: 34416020 PMCID: PMC8771197 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Nonrandomized real-world evidence (RWE) studies are conducted using healthcare data collected as part of clinical practice. As RWE studies are increasingly considered for regulatory, coverage, and other clinical decision making, nonspecialists will find themselves in the position of assessing the validity of RWE studies, a field that may be less familiar to them. This introductory guide provides conceptual guidance for reviewing RWE studies and is particularly directed at professionals for whom this is new or whose prior experience has primarily been in reviewing randomized controlled trial evidence. We focus on RWE studies that make causal inference, evaluating whether one treatment option is better, worse, or neutral compared to another. Although we provide citations to direct the reader to resources with more details on complex issues, this guide cannot substitute for years of training and expertise in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley V. Wang
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Correspondence: Shirley V. Wang ()
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Prats-Uribe A, Kolovos S, Berencsi K, Carr A, Judge A, Silman A, Arden N, Petersen I, Douglas IJ, Wilkinson JM, Murray D, Valderas JM, Beard DJ, Lamb SE, Ali MS, Pinedo-Villanueva R, Strauss VY, Prieto-Alhambra D. Unicompartmental compared with total knee replacement for patients with multimorbidities: a cohort study using propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting. Health Technol Assess 2021; 25:1-126. [PMID: 34812138 DOI: 10.3310/hta25660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although routine NHS data potentially include all patients, confounding limits their use for causal inference. Methods to minimise confounding in observational studies of implantable devices are required to enable the evaluation of patients with severe systemic morbidity who are excluded from many randomised controlled trials. OBJECTIVES Stage 1 - replicate the Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial (TOPKAT), a surgical randomised controlled trial comparing unicompartmental knee replacement with total knee replacement using propensity score and instrumental variable methods. Stage 2 - compare the risk benefits and cost-effectiveness of unicompartmental knee replacement with total knee replacement surgery in patients with severe systemic morbidity who would have been ineligible for TOPKAT using the validated methods from stage 1. DESIGN This was a cohort study. SETTING Data were obtained from the National Joint Registry database and linked to hospital inpatient (Hospital Episode Statistics) and patient-reported outcome data. PARTICIPANTS Stage 1 - people undergoing unicompartmental knee replacement surgery or total knee replacement surgery who met the TOPKAT eligibility criteria. Stage 2 - participants with an American Society of Anesthesiologists grade of ≥ 3. INTERVENTION The patients were exposed to either unicompartmental knee replacement surgery or total knee replacement surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was the postoperative Oxford Knee Score. The secondary outcome measures were 90-day postoperative complications (venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction and prosthetic joint infection) and 5-year revision risk and mortality. The main outcome measures for the health economic analysis were health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5 Dimensions) and NHS hospital costs. RESULTS In stage 1, propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting replicated the results of TOPKAT. Propensity score adjustment, propensity score matching and instrumental variables did not. Stage 2 included 2256 unicompartmental knee replacement patients and 57,682 total knee replacement patients who had severe comorbidities, of whom 145 and 23,344 had linked Oxford Knee Scores, respectively. A statistically significant but clinically irrelevant difference favouring unicompartmental knee replacement was observed, with a mean postoperative Oxford Knee Score difference of < 2 points using propensity score stratification; no significant difference was observed using inverse probability weighting. Unicompartmental knee replacement more than halved the risk of venous thromboembolism [relative risk 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.74) using propensity score stratification; relative risk 0.39 (95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.96) using inverse probability weighting]. Unicompartmental knee replacement was not associated with myocardial infarction or prosthetic joint infection using either method. In the long term, unicompartmental knee replacement had double the revision risk of total knee replacement [hazard ratio 2.70 (95% confidence interval 2.15 to 3.38) using propensity score stratification; hazard ratio 2.60 (95% confidence interval 1.94 to 3.47) using inverse probability weighting], but half of the mortality [hazard ratio 0.52 (95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.74) using propensity score stratification; insignificant effect using inverse probability weighting]. Unicompartmental knee replacement had lower costs and higher quality-adjusted life-year gains than total knee replacement for stage 2 participants. LIMITATIONS Although some propensity score methods successfully replicated TOPKAT, unresolved confounding may have affected stage 2. Missing Oxford Knee Scores may have led to information bias. CONCLUSIONS Propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting successfully replicated TOPKAT, implying that some (but not all) propensity score methods can be used to evaluate surgical innovations and implantable medical devices using routine NHS data. Unicompartmental knee replacement was safer and more cost-effective than total knee replacement for patients with severe comorbidity and should be considered the first option for suitable patients. FUTURE WORK Further research is required to understand the performance of propensity score methods for evaluating surgical innovations and implantable devices. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered as EUPAS17435. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 66. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Prats-Uribe
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Spyros Kolovos
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Klara Berencsi
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Carr
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Judge
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Alan Silman
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nigel Arden
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiological Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Irene Petersen
- Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ian J Douglas
- Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - J Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Research Committee, National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, Hemel Hempstead, UK
| | - David Murray
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jose M Valderas
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - David J Beard
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah E Lamb
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,University of Exeter Medical School, Institute of Health Research, College of Medicine and Health, Exeter, UK
| | - M Sanni Ali
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rafael Pinedo-Villanueva
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Victoria Y Strauss
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Prieto-Alhambra
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Tomlinson B, Patil NG, Fok M, Chan P, Lam CWK. The role of sulfonylureas in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 23:387-403. [PMID: 34758676 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1999413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasingly prevalent and associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and renal disease. After lifestyle modification, metformin is usually the first-line pharmacotherapy and sulfonylureas are traditionally added after metformin failure. However, with newer glucose lowering drugs that may have less risk of hypoglycemia or that may reduce cardiovascular and renal events, the position of sulfonylureas is being reevaluated. AREAS COVERED In this article, the authors review relevant publications related to the use of sulfonylureas. EXPERT OPINION Sulfonylureas are potent glucose lowering drugs. The risk of hypoglycemia varies with different drugs within the class and can be minimized by using the safer drugs, possibly in lower doses. Cardiovascular events do not appear to be increased with some of the newer generation drugs. The durability of glycemic control also appears comparable to other newer agents. Sulfonylureas are the preferred treatment for some types of monogenic diabetes and selection of T2D patients who may have greater benefit from sulfonylureas based on certain phenotypes and genotypes is likely to be refined further by precision medicine. Sulfonylureas are inexpensive and readily available everywhere and they are still the most frequently used second-line treatment for T2D in many parts of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Tomlinson
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | | | - Manson Fok
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Paul Chan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
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Fralick M, Schneeweiss S, Redelmeier DA, Razak F, Gomes T, Patorno E. Comparative effectiveness and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors versus metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes: An observational study using data from routine care. Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:2320-2328. [PMID: 34169619 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the effectiveness and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in treatment-naïve patients compared with metformin. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS We conducted a cohort study of US adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had not filled a prescription for a diabetes medication in the preceding year. We then identified patients who newly filled a prescription for an SGLT2 inhibitor or metformin between 2013 and 2018. The primary outcome was a composite of heart failure, myocardial infarction or stroke. Safety outcomes included hypoglycaemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, genital infection, lactic acidosis and acute kidney injury. After 1:1 propensity-score (PS) matching, proportional hazards models were fit to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS We identified 9964 individuals newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor who were PS-matched to 9964 individuals newly prescribed metformin. The mean age was 54 years, 52% were women, and the duration of follow-up was 213 days for metformin and 147 days for SGLT2 inhibitors. The primary outcome occurred in 54 patients (7.2 events per 1000 person-years) who received an SGLT2 inhibitor, compared to 84 patients (8.5 per 1000 person-years) who received metformin (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.58, 1.15). Similar results (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.69, 1.09) were observed in an analysis with longer follow-up (ie, approximately 600 days). The rates of genital infection (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.87, 2.78) and diabetic ketoacidosis (HR 1.58, 95% CI 0.92, 2.70) were higher for patients prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor compared to metformin, while the rates of acute kidney injury (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.60, 1.47) or hypoglycaemia (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.48, 1.42) were not. CONCLUSIONS We observed a numerically lower rate of short-/mid-term cardiovascular events for patients newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor compared to metformin, albeit with wide CIs that include the possibility of a null effect. SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a higher rate of genital infection and diabetic ketoacidosis. Larger cohort studies and long-term clinical trials powered to assess cardiovascular events are necessary to understand the risk-benefit profile of SGLT2 inhibitors as first-line therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fralick
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Sinai Health, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES in Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Fahad Razak
- St Michael's Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Gomes
- ICES in Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Schneeweiss S, Patorno E. Conducting Real-world Evidence Studies on the Clinical Outcomes of Diabetes Treatments. Endocr Rev 2021; 42:658-690. [PMID: 33710268 PMCID: PMC8476933 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Real-world evidence (RWE), the understanding of treatment effectiveness in clinical practice generated from longitudinal patient-level data from the routine operation of the healthcare system, is thought to complement evidence on the efficacy of medications from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RWE studies follow a structured approach. (1) A design layer decides on the study design, which is driven by the study question and refined by a medically informed target population, patient-informed outcomes, and biologically informed effect windows. Imagining the randomized trial we would ideally perform before designing an RWE study in its likeness reduces bias; the new-user active comparator cohort design has proven useful in many RWE studies of diabetes treatments. (2) A measurement layer transforms the longitudinal patient-level data stream into variables that identify the study population, the pre-exposure patient characteristics, the treatment, and the treatment-emergent outcomes. Working with secondary data increases the measurement complexity compared to primary data collection that we find in most RCTs. (3) An analysis layer focuses on the causal treatment effect estimation. Propensity score analyses have gained in popularity to minimize confounding in healthcare database analyses. Well-understood investigator errors, like immortal time bias, adjustment for causal intermediates, or reverse causation, should be avoided. To increase reproducibility of RWE findings, studies require full implementation transparency. This article integrates state-of-the-art knowledge on how to conduct and review RWE studies on diabetes treatments to maximize study validity and ultimately increased confidence in RWE-based decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MAUSA
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MAUSA
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36
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Kirchgesner J, Desai RJ, Schneeweiss MC, Beaugerie L, Kim SC, Schneeweiss S. Emulation of a randomized controlled trial in ulcerative colitis with US and French claims data: Infliximab with thiopurines compared to infliximab monotherapy. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2021; 31:167-175. [PMID: 34498314 DOI: 10.1002/pds.5356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To understand the validity of real-world evidence (RWE) studies in ulcerative colitis (UC), we emulated the SUCCESS randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effectiveness of infliximab plus thiopurines, using US and French healthcare insurance claims data. METHODS The SUCCESS trial showed improved remission with infliximab plus thiopurines combined compared to infliximab monotherapy in patients with UC. Based on two US commercial claims databases (IBM MarketScan and Optum) and the French nationwide health insurance database (SNDS) from 2004 through 2019, all patients with UC who initiated combination therapy or infliximab alone were identified. The primary outcome of treatment failure was emulated by: Hospitalization related to UC or colectomy, treatment switch to another biologic or immunosuppressant, or use of corticosteroids 16 weeks after infliximab initiation. We estimated risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals after 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching. RESULTS Among 620 PS-matched pairs of combination therapy and infliximab monotherapy users, treatment failure occurred in 124 (20%) of patients initiating combination therapy and 170 (27%) during monotherapy. Like in SUCCESS, the risk of treatment failure was decreased with combination therapy in the overall cohort (RR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.60-0.90). Findings were consistent across MarketScan, Optum, and SNDS: RR = 0.76 (0.57-1.02), 0.82 (0.54-1.24), and 0.61 (0.41-0.90). Similar results were observed for each component endpoint. CONCLUSIONS RWE results across three large claims databases were consistent with RCT findings. These findings provide support for the use of RWE to assess treatment effectiveness in UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Kirchgesner
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Department of gastroenterology, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Rishi J Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria C Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurent Beaugerie
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Department of gastroenterology, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Seoyoung C Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Wangnoo S, Shunmugavelu M, Reddy SVB, Negalur V, Godbole S, Dhandhania VK, Krishna N, Gaurav K. Role of Gliclazide in safely navigating type 2 diabetes mellitus patients towards euglycemia: Expert opinion from India. ENDOCRINE AND METABOLIC SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.endmts.2021.100102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Shin H, Schneeweiss S, Glynn RJ, Patorno E. Trends in First-Line Glucose-Lowering Drug Use in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in Light of Emerging Evidence for SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA. Diabetes Care 2021; 44:1774-1782. [PMID: 34385345 PMCID: PMC8385465 DOI: 10.2337/dc20-2926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated recent use trends and predictors of first-line antidiabetes treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using two large U.S. health insurance databases (Clinformatics and Medicare), we identified adult patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated antidiabetes treatment from 2013 through 2019. Quarterly trends in use of first-line antidiabetes treatment were plotted overall and stratified by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Multinomial logistic regressions were fit to estimate predictors of first-line antidiabetes treatment, using metformin, the recommended first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, as the common referent. RESULTS Metformin was the most frequently initiated medication, used by 80.6% of Medicare beneficiaries and 83.1% of commercially insured patients. Sulfonylureas were used by 8.7% (Medicare) and 4.7% (commercial). Both populations had low use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i, 0.8% [Medicare] and 1.7% [commercial]) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1Ra; 1.0% [Medicare] and 3.5% [commercial]), with increasing trends over time (P < 0.01). Initiators of antidiabetes drugs with established cardiovascular benefits (SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA) were more likely to be younger and had prevalent CVD or higher socioeconomic status compared with initiators of metformin. CONCLUSIONS Among adult patients with type 2 diabetes, metformin was by far the most frequent first-line treatment. While the use of SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA was low from 2013 through 2019, it increased among patients with CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- HoJin Shin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA .,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robert J Glynn
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Renoux C, Azoulay L, Suissa S. Biases in Evaluating the Safety and Effectiveness of Drugs for the Treatment of COVID-19: Designing Real-World Evidence Studies. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:1452-1456. [PMID: 33564823 PMCID: PMC7929453 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an unprecedented effort to generate real-world evidence on the safety and effectiveness of various treatments. A growing number of observational studies evaluating the effects of certain drugs have been conducted, including several assessing whether hydroxychloroquine improves outcomes in infected individuals and whether renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors have detrimental effects. We review and illustrate how immortal time bias and selection bias were present in several of these studies. Understanding these biases and how they can be avoided may prove important for future observational studies assessing the effectiveness and safety of potentially promising drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel Renoux
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Laurent Azoulay
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Samy Suissa
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Correspondence to Dr. Samy Suissa, Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine, H4.61, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3T 1E2 (e-mail: ) Tel: 514-340-7593 Fax: 514-340-7564; Dr. Christel Renoux, Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine, H-416, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3T 1E2 (e-mail: ) Tel: 514-340-7563 Fax: 514-340-7564
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Rassen JA, Murk W, Schneeweiss S. Real-world evidence of bariatric surgery and cardiovascular benefits using electronic health records data: A lesson in bias. Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:1453-1462. [PMID: 33566434 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIM To reproduce and correct studies on bariatric surgery and the reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS We used electronic healthcare records (EHR) from in and outpatient facilities around the United States to identify a cohort of patients with T2D, aged 18 to 80 years and with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher undergoing bariatric surgery. We compared against hip/knee arthroplasty to establish an active comparison group that reduced bias from differential information and confounding. The main outcome was six-point MACE. Pre-exposure characteristics were adjusted in propensity score (PS) models with 1:2 matching plus high-dimensional PS matching. RESULTS After a range of exclusions, the final cohort included 344 bariatric surgery patients (65% female; mean age 58 years) and 551 PS-matched patients undergoing arthroplasty (65% female; 59 years). Median follow-up was 2.5 years in both groups. Bariatric surgery patients showed a sustained 20% weight reduction and an HbA1c reduction by 1% point. We found no benefits of bariatric surgery for six-point MACE (HR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.76-1.30). We observed known increases in risks for vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia (HR = 3.06; 1.10-8.49) and cholelithiasis (HR = 1.72; 0.94-3.13). CONCLUSIONS This real-world evidence study found reductions in HbA1c and BMI following bariatric surgery similar to trials, and no meaningful cardiovascular benefit compatible with the underpowered trials but in contrast to earlier EHR studies. We showed how information bias typical in EHR analyses and confounding may cause substantial bias.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William Murk
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Suissa K, Schneeweiss S, Kim DW, Patorno E. Prescribing trends and clinical characteristics of patients starting antiobesity drugs in the United States. Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:1542-1551. [PMID: 33651454 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the trends in the prescribing of antiobesity medications and the characteristics of patients recently initiating antiobesity drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a population-based cohort study using claims data from commercial health insurances in the United States. Patients initiating an antiobesity drug between January 2004 and December 2018 were included. Trends in the utilization of antiobesity medications were plotted by year, as a proportion of any antiobesity treatment, and as initiation rates per 100 000. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of antiobesity initiators. RESULTS From 2004 to 2018, 626 216 patients started an antiobesity medication (two per 100 000). Phentermine was the most frequently prescribed (50% in 2018). In recent years (2015-2018), among 227 692 patients who initiated an antiobesity drug, 51% started phentermine, 19% naltrexone-bupropion, and 13% liraglutide 3.0 mg. Compared to other agents, the use of liraglutide 3.0 mg increased between 2015 and 2018. The average age of initiators was 45 years, 81% of initiators were female, 32% had hypertension, 25% had dyslipidaemia, and 6% had type 2 diabetes. Time on treatment was generally short (mean 81 days). CONCLUSION The overall use of antiobesity medications remained low over the past 15 years and phentermine was the preferred antiobesity agent. Although the use of potentially safer antiobesity agents, for example, liraglutide 3.0 mg, has increased in recent years, phentermine remained the most frequently prescribed agent among middle-aged adults with a moderate burden of comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Suissa
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dong Wook Kim
- School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elisabetta Patorno
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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42
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Rassen JA, Murk W, Schneeweiss S. Reply to the Letter by Arterburn D. et al. ("Bias in EHR-based studies: Seeing the Forest for the Trees"). Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:1694-1695. [PMID: 33852197 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - William Murk
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Abstract
The poor prognosis in patients with diabetes mellitus who contract COVID-19 urged physicians to question routine drug treatment for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. What treatment should we prioritize? So far only observational studies are available, although complementary interventional studies are needed to address this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy Hadjadj
- l'institut du thorax, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.
| | - Matthieu Wargny
- Clinique des données, INSERM CIC 1413, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France
- l'institut du thorax, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
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44
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Rogers JR, Lee J, Zhou Z, Cheung YK, Hripcsak G, Weng C. Contemporary use of real-world data for clinical trial conduct in the United States: a scoping review. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021; 28:144-154. [PMID: 33164065 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Real-world data (RWD), defined as routinely collected healthcare data, can be a potential catalyst for addressing challenges faced in clinical trials. We performed a scoping review of database-specific RWD applications within clinical trial contexts, synthesizing prominent uses and themes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Querying 3 biomedical literature databases, research articles using electronic health records, administrative claims databases, or clinical registries either within a clinical trial or in tandem with methodology related to clinical trials were included. Articles were required to use at least 1 US RWD source. All abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction was performed by 1 reviewer. Two reviewers independently verified all decisions. RESULTS Of 2020 screened articles, 89 qualified: 59 articles used electronic health records, 29 used administrative claims, and 26 used registries. Our synthesis was driven by the general life cycle of a clinical trial, culminating into 3 major themes: trial process tasks (51 articles); dissemination strategies (6); and generalizability assessments (34). Despite a diverse set of diseases studied, <10% of trials using RWD for trial process tasks evaluated medications or procedures (5/51). All articles highlighted data-related challenges, such as missing values. DISCUSSION Database-specific RWD have been occasionally leveraged for various clinical trial tasks. We observed underuse of RWD within conducted medication or procedure trials, though it is subject to the confounder of implicit report of RWD use. CONCLUSION Enhanced incorporation of RWD should be further explored for medication or procedure trials, including better understanding of how to handle related data quality issues to facilitate RWD use.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Rogers
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Junghwan Lee
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ziheng Zhou
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ying Kuen Cheung
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, and
| | - George Hripcsak
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.,Medical Informatics Services, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chunhua Weng
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Qu L, Liang X, Tian G, Zhang G, Wu Q, Huang X, Cui Y, Liu Y, Shen Z, Xiao C, Qin Y, Miao H, Zhang Y, Li Z, Ye S, Zhang X, Yang J, Cao G, Li Y, Yang G, Hu J, Wang X, Li Z, Li Y, Zhang X, Zhang G, Chen L, Hua W, Yu M, Lu C, Zhang X, Jiang H. Efficacy and Safety of Mulberry Twig Alkaloids Tablet for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy, and Parallel Controlled Clinical Trial. Diabetes Care 2021; 44:1324-1333. [PMID: 33832957 PMCID: PMC8247493 DOI: 10.2337/dc20-2109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mulberry twig alkaloids (Sangzhi alkaloids [SZ-A]) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, and parallel controlled noninferiority clinical trial that was conducted for 24 weeks. A total of 600 patients were randomly allocated to the SZ-A group (n = 360) or acarbose group (n = 240). The primary efficacy end point was the change of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) compared with baseline. In addition, adverse events (AEs), severe AEs (SAEs), treatment-related AEs (TAEs), and gastrointestinal disorders (GDs) were monitored. RESULTS After treatment for 24 weeks, the change in HbA1c was -0.93% (95% CI -1.03 to -0.83) (-10.2 mmol/mol [-11.3 to -9.1]) and -0.87% (-0.99 to -0.76) (-9.5 mmol/mol [-10.8 to -8.3]) in the SZ-A and acarbose groups, respectively, and the least squares mean difference was -0.05% (95% CI -0.18 to 0.07) (-0.5 mmol/mol [-2.0 to 0.8]) between the two groups, with no significant difference on the basis of covariance analysis (P > 0.05). The incidence of TAEs and GDs was significantly lower in the SZ-A group than the acarbose group (P < 0.01), but no differences for AEs or SAEs between the two groups were observed (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS SZ-A exhibited equivalent hypoglycemic effects to acarbose in patients with T2D. Nevertheless, the incidence of TAEs and GDs was lower following SZ-A treatment than acarbose treatment, suggesting good safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Qu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochun Liang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqing Tian
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Gaili Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qunli Wu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiumei Huang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yazhong Cui
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuling Liu
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhufang Shen
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Changqing Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China
| | - Yingfen Qin
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China
| | - Heng Miao
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nan Jing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongyan Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning, China
| | - Ziling Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Inner Mongolia Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
| | - Shandong Ye
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xuezhi Zhang
- Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrative Medicine Department, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, China
| | - Guiwen Cao
- Department of Endocrinology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Gangyi Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji Hu
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Suzhou University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoyue Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First People's Hospital of Yueyang, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengfang Li
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Yunnan, China
| | - Yukun Li
- Department of Endocrinology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, China
| | - Xiuzhen Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangde Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Shandong, China
| | - Wenjin Hua
- Department of Endocrinology, The Third People's Hospital of Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming Yu
- Department of Endocrinology, Central Hospital of Putuo District, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunyan Lu
- Department of Endocrinology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaomei Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Liaoning, China
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Shi FH, Li H, Kong LC, Shen L, Jiang YH, Gu ZC, Ge H. Sulfonylureas Use Is Not Associated With Increased Infarct Size in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021; 8:658059. [PMID: 34124195 PMCID: PMC8194070 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.658059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: This retrospective study assessed the association between sulfonylureas use and infarct size in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by myocardial enzymology indexes and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Methods: Patients presenting STEMI between July 2013 and August 2019 were included in a retrospective database at our institution. Antidiabetic agents used before STEMI were recorded. Patients with maximum recorded troponin I (max cTNI) and creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) within the first 72 h of chest pain onset were selected. Infarct size was quantified by CMR imaging, and cardiovascular outcomes were also obtained at 30 days and 6 months follow-up. Multivariable regression models explored potential risk factors associated with infarct size and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 254 T2DM and STEMI patients were included, with 101 sulfonylurea users and 153 non-users. Sulfonylureas users were not associated with higher max cTnI and max CK-MB compared to non-users. Among 65 CMR patients, no significant differences in infarct size were detected between sulfonylureas users and non-users. Whereas, the incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) was higher in patients receiving sulfonylureas than those taking non-sulfonylureas (88.0 vs. 62.5%, p = 0.023). No higher cardiovascular events of sulfonylureas users vs. non-users were observed, except for heart failure events (24.0 vs. 2.5% at 30 days, p = 0.011; 28.0 vs. 2.5% at 6 months, p = 0.004). Multivariable regression analyses verified that sulfonylureas users increased the risks of MVO. Conclusions: Sulfonylureas use did not associate with larger infarct size in patients with T2DM and STEMI. A potentially higher incidence of MVO in sulfonylurea users was found. Notably, since most patients presented after a relatively long period of ischemia and glibenclamide was not used by the included patients in this observational study, the results of this study should not be extrapolated to clinical settings with short periods of ischemia or to patients using glibenclamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Hong Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-Cong Kong
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Long Shen
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Hong Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Chun Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Heng Ge
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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Schneeweiss MC, Kim SC, Wyss R, Jin Y, Chin K, Merola JF, Mostaghimi A, Silverberg JI, Schneeweiss S. Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Dermatologist-Diagnosed Chronic Inflammatory Skin Diseases. JAMA Dermatol 2021; 157:805-816. [PMID: 34037662 PMCID: PMC8156173 DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.1570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Importance Several studies have linked chronic inflammatory skin diseases (CISDs) with venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a range of data sources with mixed conclusions. Objective To examine the incidence of VTE in patients with vs without CISD. Design, Setting, and Participants A cohort study using commercial insurance claims data from a nationwide US health care database from January 1, 2004, through 2019 was conducted. A total of 158 123 patients with dermatologist-recorded psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, or hidradenitis suppurativa were included. Risk-set sampling identified patients without a CISD. Patient follow-up lasted until the first of the following occurred: VTE, death, disenrollment, or end of data stream. Exposures Patients with vs without CISD. Main Outcomes and Measures Venous thromboembolism events were identified with validated algorithms. Incidence rates were computed before and after 1:1 propensity-score matching to account for VTE risk factors. Hazard ratios were estimated to compare the incidence of VTE in the CISD vs non-CISD cohorts. Results A total of 158 123 patients were identified with CISD: with psoriasis (n = 96 138), atopic dermatitis (n = 30 418), alopecia areata (n = 17 889), vitiligo (n = 7735), or HS (n = 5934); 9 patients had 2 of these conditions. A total of 1 570 387 patients were without a CISD. The median follow-up time was 1.9 years (interquartile range, 0.8-4.0 years) in patients with CISD. The incidence rate (per 1000 person-years) of outpatient or inpatient VTE was 1.57 in psoriasis, 1.83 in atopic dermatitis, 0.94 in alopecia areata, 0.93 in vitiligo, 1.65 in HS and 1.53 in CISD overall, compared with 1.76 in patients without a CISD. Incidence rates increased in patients aged 50 years or older (2.3 per 1000 person-years) and decreased in those aged 18 to 49 years (0.8 per 1000 person-years). After propensity-score matching to patients without a CISD, the hazard ratio (HR) of VTE was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75-0.99) in psoriasis, 1.19 (95% CI, 0.95-1.48) in atopic dermatitis, 0.97 (95% CI, 0.65-1.46) in alopecia areata, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.49-1.65) in vitiligo, 1.64 (95% CI, 0.82-3.27) in hidradenitis suppurativa, and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.84-1.05) in CISD overall. Conclusions and Relevance In this large-scale cohort study, CISDs were not associated with an increased incidence of VTE after controlling for relevant VTE risk factors in a representative dermatology patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Seoyoung C Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Richard Wyss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yinzhu Jin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kristyn Chin
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph F Merola
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Arash Mostaghimi
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Associate Editor, JAMA Dermatology
| | - Jonathan I Silverberg
- Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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48
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Kirchgesner J, Desai RJ, Beaugerie L, Kim SC, Schneeweiss S. Calibrating Real-World Evidence Studies Against Randomized Trials: Treatment Effectiveness of Infliximab in Crohn's Disease. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2021; 111:179-186. [PMID: 34027993 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Real-world evidence (RWE) on the effectiveness of treatments in Crohn's disease (CD) derived from clinical practice data will help fill many evidence gaps left by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Emulating RCTs with healthcare database studies may calibrate RWE studies in CD. We aimed to emulate the SONIC trial on the effectiveness of infliximab in patients with CD using US and French healthcare claims data. SONIC had shown improved remission with combination therapy (i.e., infliximab plus thiopurines) compared with infliximab monotherapy. Using claims data (2004-2019) from commercially insured patients in the United States (IBM MarketScan and Optum) and France (Système National des Données de Santé (National Healthcare Data System) (SNDS)), we conducted a cohort study of patients with CD who initiated combination therapy and compared them with patients who initiated infliximab alone. The primary outcome was a composite end point of treatment failure including hospitalization or surgery related to CD, treatment switch, or continuation of corticosteroids 26 weeks after infliximab initiation. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in propensity score (PS)-matched cohorts. We identified 1,437 PS-matched pairs of combination therapy vs. infliximab monotherapy users. As in SONIC, the risk of treatment failure was decreased with combination therapy in the overall cohort (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.62-0.82; RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.97 in SONIC). Findings were consistent across MarketScan, Optum, and SNDS databases: RR (95% CI), 0.83 (0.63-1.10), 0.66 (0.46-0.93), and 0.68 (0.57-0.82), as well as component end points. These robust findings highlight opportunities in RWE analysis for studying treatment effectiveness in patients with CD in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Kirchgesner
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology, Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Rishi J Desai
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurent Beaugerie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Seoyoung C Kim
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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49
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Practical use of electronic health records among patients with diabetes in scientific research. Chin Med J (Engl) 2021; 133:1224-1230. [PMID: 32433055 PMCID: PMC7249716 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000000784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Electronic health (medical) records, which are also considered as patients’ information that are routinely collected, provide a great chance for researchers to develop an epidemiological understanding of disease. Electronic health records systems cannot develop without the advance of computer industries. While conducting clinical trials that are always costly, feasible and reasonable analysis of routine patients’ information is more cost-effective and reflective of clinical practice, which is also called real world study. Real world studies can be well supported by big data in healthcare industry. Real world studies become more and more focused and important with the development of evidence-based medicine. These big data will definitely help in making decisions, making policies and guidelines, monitoring of effectiveness and safety on new drugs or technologies. Extracting, cleaning, and analyzing such big data will be a great challenge for clinical researchers. Successful applications and developments of electronic health record in western countries (eg, disease registries, health insurance claims, etc) have provided a clear direction for Chinese researchers. However, it is still at primary stages in China. This review tries to provide a full perspective on how to translate the electronic health records into scientific achievements, for example, among patients with diabetes. As a summary in the end, resource sharing and collaborations are highly recommended among hospitals and healthcare groups.
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50
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Fu EL, van Diepen M, Xu Y, Trevisan M, Dekker FW, Zoccali C, Jager K, Carrero JJ. Pharmacoepidemiology for nephrologists (part 2): potential biases and how to overcome them. Clin Kidney J 2021; 14:1317-1326. [PMID: 33959262 PMCID: PMC8087121 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfaa242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Observational pharmacoepidemiological studies using routinely collected healthcare data are increasingly being used in the field of nephrology to answer questions on the effectiveness and safety of medications. This review discusses a number of biases that may arise in such studies and proposes solutions to minimize them during the design or statistical analysis phase. We first describe designs to handle confounding by indication (e.g. active comparator design) and methods to investigate the influence of unmeasured confounding, such as the E-value, the use of negative control outcomes and control cohorts. We next discuss prevalent user and immortal time biases in pharmacoepidemiology research and how these can be prevented by focussing on incident users and applying either landmarking, using a time-varying exposure, or the cloning, censoring and weighting method. Lastly, we briefly discuss the common issues with missing data and misclassification bias. When these biases are properly accounted for, pharmacoepidemiological observational studies can provide valuable information for clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard L Fu
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Merel van Diepen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Marco Trevisan
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Friedo W Dekker
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carmine Zoccali
- CNR-IFC, Clinical Epidemiology of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Kitty Jager
- Department of Medical Informatics, ERA-EDTA Registry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juan Jesus Carrero
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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