Pharmacoepidemiology Research-Real-World Evidence for Decision Making

Effects of a change in recall period on reporting severe symptoms: an analysis of a pragmatic multisite trial

BACKGROUND

Optimal methods for deploying electronic patient-reported outcomes to manage symptoms in routine oncologic practice remain uncertain. The electronic symptom management (eSyM) program asks chemotherapy and surgery patients to self-report 12 common symptoms regularly. Feedback from nurses and patients led to changing the recall period from the past 7 days to the past 24 hours.

METHODS

Using questionnaires submitted during the 16 weeks surrounding the recall period change, we assessed the likelihood of reporting severe or moderate and severe symptoms across 12 common symptoms and separately for the 5 most prevalent symptoms. Interrupted time-series analyses modeled the effects of the change using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Surgery and chemotherapy cohorts were analyzed separately. Study-wide effects were estimated using a meta-analysis method.

RESULTS

In total, 1692 patients from 6 institutions submitted 7823 eSyM assessments during the 16 weeks surrounding the recall period change. Shortening the recall period was associated with lower odds of severe symptom reporting in the surgery cohort (odds ratio = 0.65, 95% confidence interval = 0.46 to 0.93; P = .02) and lower odds of moderate and severe symptom reporting in the chemotherapy cohort (odds ratio = 0.83, 95% confidence interval = 0.71 to 0.97; P = .02). Among the most prevalent symptoms, 24-hour recall was associated with a lower rate of reporting postoperative constipation but no differences in reporting rates for other symptoms.

CONCLUSION

A shorter recall period was associated with a reduction in the proportion of patients reporting moderate-severe symptoms. The optimal recall period may vary depending on whether electronic patient-reported outcomes are collected for active symptom management, as a clinical trial endpoint, or another purpose. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT03850912.

Pharmacoepidemiology: An Overview

The aims of this review are to provide a comprehensive overview of the definition and scope of pharmacoepidemiology, to summarize the study designs and methodologies used in the field, to discuss the future trends in the field and new methodologies to address bias and confounding, and finally to give some recommendations to clinicians interested in pharmacoepidemiologic research. Because drug efficacy and safety from randomized clinical trials do not reflect the real-world situation, pharmacoepidemiological studies on drug safety monitoring and drug effectiveness in large numbers of people are needed by healthcare professionals and regulatory institutions. We aim to highlight the importance of pharmacoepidemiologic research in informing evidence-based medicine and public health policy. The development of new designs and methodologies for the generation of valid evidence, as well as new initiatives to provide guidance and recommendations on how to incorporate real-world evidence into the drug development process, are reported on. In addition, we have touched on the implication of artificial intelligence in the management of real-world data. This overview aims to summarize all important aspects to consider when conducting or interpreting a pharmacoepidemiologic study.

Generating fit-for-purpose real-world evidence in Asia: How far are we from closing the gaps?

Evidence generated by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) does not often represent the patient journey and clinical outcomes in the real world due to limited external validity or generalizability. Studies based on real-world data are intended to generalize results to the broader population; however, if the influence of external factors or confounders is not effectively managed, the cause-and-effect relationship and internal validity may be challenged, resulting in flawed results. The collection of quality real-world evidence (RWE) is crucial in Asia as there is often an underrepresentation of Asian populations in RCTs. In addition, few countries in Asia are catching up with the Western world in issuing practical foundational principles and guidance for conducting and adopting evidence for regulatory and reimbursement decisions. However, privacy and data protection laws are generally lagging behind technological developments in electronic medical records. While leveraging RWE in clinical and regulatory decision-making holds excellent potential, collective efforts across industry, governments, and research institutions are required for generating standardized practices and building capabilities for developing fit-for-purpose RWE in Asia.

Safety of romiplostim and eltrombopag for children with immune thrombocytopenia: a pharmacovigilance study of the FDA adverse event reporting system database

BACKGROUND

Romiplostim and eltrombopag are thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPORAs) that have been approved by the FDA on 22 August 2008 and 20 November 2008 for pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, postmarketing pharmacovigilance of TPORAs in children still attracts much attention. We aimed to evaluate the safety of the TPORAs romiplostim and eltrombopag using data from the Adverse Event Reporting System database of FDA (FAERS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a disproportionality analysis and analyzed data from the FAERS database to characterize the key features of adverse events (AEs) associated with TPO-RAs approved for children under 18 years of age.

RESULTS

Since their approval in the market in 2008, 250 and 298 reports of romiplostim and eltrombopag use in children have been published in the FAERS database, respectively. The most frequent AE associated with romiplostim and eltrombopag was epistaxis. Neutralizing antibodies and vitreous opacities showed the strongest signals for romiplostim and eltrombopag, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The labeled AEs for romiplostim and eltrombopag in children were analyzed. Unlabeled AEs may reflect the potential of new clinical individuals. Early recognition and management of AEs that appear in children treated with romiplostim and eltrombopag are of key importance in clinical practice.

Effectiveness and safety of integrase strand transfer inhibitors in Spain: a prospective real-world study

Introduction

Second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are preferred treatment options worldwide, and dolutegravir (DTG) is the treatment of choice in resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, in some resource-limited settings, these drugs are not always available. An analysis of the experience with the use of INSTIs in unselected adults living with HIV may be of help to make therapeutic decisions when second-generation INSTIs are not available. This study aimed to evaluate the real-life effectiveness and safety of dolutegravir (DTG), elvitegravir/cobicistat (EVG/c), and raltegravir (RAL) in a large Spanish cohort of HIV-1-infected patients.

Methods

Real-world study of adults living with HIV who initiated integrase INSTIs DTG, EVG/c, and RAL-based regimens in three settings (ART-naïve patients, ART-switching, and ART-salvage patients). The primary endpoint was the median time to treatment discontinuation after INSTI-based regimen initiation. Proportion of patients experiencing virological failure (VF) (defined as two consecutive viral loads (VL) ≥200 copies/mL at 24 weeks or as a single determination of VL ≥1,000 copies/mL while receiving DTG, EVG/c or RAL, and at least 3 months after INSTI initiation) and time to VF were also evaluated.

Results

Virological effectiveness of EVG/c- and RAL-based regimens was similar to that of DTG when given as first-line and salvage therapy. Treatment switching for reasons other than virological failure was more frequent in subjects receiving EVG/c and, in particular, RAL. Naïve patients with CD4+ nadir <100 cells/μL were more likely to develop VF, particularly if they initiated RAL or EVG/c. In the ART switching population, initiation of RAL and EVG/c was associated with both VF and INSTI discontinuation. There were no differences in the time to VF and INSTI discontinuation between DTG, EVG/c and RAL. Immunological parameters improved in the three groups and for the three drugs assessed. Safety and tolerability were consistent with expected safety profiles.

Discussion

Whereas second-generation INSTIs are preferred treatment options worldwide, and DTG is one of the treatment of choices in resource-limited settings, first-generation INSTIs may still provide high virological and immunological effectiveness when DTG is not available.

Perspectives on deprescribing in palliative care

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacotherapy plays a critical role in the delivery of high-quality palliative care, but the intersection of palliative care and deprescribing has received little attention.

AREAS COVERED

We conducted a scoping review of English language articles using PubMed to identify relevant publications between 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2022 using search terms of deprescribing, palliative care, end of life, and hospice. We summarize current definitions and developments in palliative care and deprescribing from both clinical and research perspectives. We highlight key challenges and outline proposed solutions and needed research.

EXPERT OPINION

The future of deprescribing in palliative care requires the development and adoption of individualized approaches to medication management, including a reconsidered approach to communication about deprescribing. Evidence from high-quality clinical outcomes studies is lacking, and the field needs new approaches to coordination of care delivery. This review article will be of interest to both clinical and research-based pharmacists, physicians, and nurses interested in improving care for patients with serious illness.

An overview of methodological flaws of real-world studies investigating drug safety in the post-marketing setting

INTRODUCTION

The evaluation of the post-marketing safety profile of drugs is a continuous monitoring process for approved and marketed medicines and it is crucial for detecting new adverse drug reactions. As such, real-world studies are essential to complement pre-marketing evidence with information concerning drug risk-benefit profile and use in wider patient populations and they have a great potential to support post-marketing drug safety evaluations.

AREAS COVERED

A detailed description of the main limitations of real-world data sources (i.e. claims databases, electronic healthcare records, drug/disease registers and spontaneous reporting system databases) and of the main methodological challenges of real-world studies in generating real-world evidence is provided.

EXPERT OPINION

Real-world evidence biases can be ascribed to both the methodological approach and the specific limitations of the different real-world data sources used to carry out the study. As such, it is crucial to characterize the quality of real-world data, by establishing guidelines and best practices for the assessment of data fitness for purpose. On the other hand, it is important that real-world studies are conducted using a rigorous methodology, aimed at minimizing the risk of bias.

Experiences and Perspectives of Marketing Authorisation Holders towards Medication Safety Monitoring during Pregnancy: A Pan-European Qualitative Analysis

Although marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) are involved in monitoring medication safety, it was unclear how they experience their role and current monitoring activities in pregnancy. Therefore, a qualitative study using online focus groups with MAHs and the Belgian umbrella organisation of MAHs was conducted in June–July 2021. In total, 38 representatives of nine organisations participated. Overall, participants reported multiple difficulties with data collection, including underreporting, collection of incomplete information, and loss to follow-up. The limited number of high-quality data collected, the unknown denominator and the lack of comparator data complicate MAHs’ data processing activities, preventing them to timely provide evidence in the pregnancy label. Three ‘conflicts’ inherent to the specific position of MAHs were identified explaining the difficulties they experience, i.e., (1) mistrust from patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs); (2) MAHs’ legal obligations and regulatory framework; (3) MAHs’ position outside the healthcare context. To overcome these barriers, MAHs suggested that data registration should occur in close collaboration with patients and HCPs, organised within the healthcare context and performed by using a user-friendly system. In conclusion, the reported difficulties and underlying conflicts of MAHs highlight the need for more effective, collaborative data collection strategies to generate new evidence on this topic.