Reporting of financial conflicts of interest in meta-analyses of drug trials published in high-impact medical journals: comparison of results from 2017 to 2018 and 2009

Benea, Carla; Turner, Kimberly A.; Roseman, Michelle; Bero, Lisa A.; Lexchin, Joel; Turner, Erick H.; Thombs, Brett D.

doi:10.1186/s13643-020-01318-5

Systematic Reviews

Table 1 Characteristics of included meta-analyses

From: Reporting of financial conflicts of interest in meta-analyses of drug trials published in high-impact medical journals: comparison of results from 2017 to 2018 and 2009

Author	Journal/year	2016 impact factor	Number of drug RCTs in meta-analysis	Publication dates of articles reviewed	Setting/diagnosis	Pharmacological intervention	Comparison arm(s)	Efficacy/harm	Funding source	Number of authors with disclosed industry financial ties/number of authors	Number of authors employed by industry/number of authors
General medicine
Feller et al. [23]	JAMA/2018	44.4	21	1984–2017	Non-pregnant adults with subclinical hypothyroidism	Thyroid hormone therapy	Placebo, no intervention	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	0/15	0/15
McIntyre et al. [24]	JAMA/2018	44.4	23	1999–2017	Patients with distributive shock	Vasopressin—4 included plus catecholamine vasopressors	Catecholamines vasopressors—2 included	Efficacy	Not reported	2/10	0/10
Zheng et al. [25]	JAMA/2018	44.4	236	2004–2017	Patients with type 2 diabetes	NMA: SGLT-2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors	Placebo, no treatment	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	1/7	0/7
Cipriani et al. [26]	Lancet/2018	47.8	522	1979–unpublished	Adults with major depressive disorder	NMA: antidepressants—21 included	Placebo	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	4/18	0/18
Gayet-Ageron et al. [27]	Lancet/2018	47.8	2	2010–2017	Patients with acute severe hemorrhage	Tranexamic acid	Placebo	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	0/6	0/6
Jinatongthai et al. [28]	Lancet/2017	47.8	40	1986–2005	Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction	NMA: fibrinolytic agents—4 included, parenteral anticoagulants—4 included, Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors—3 included, antiplatelets—3 included	N/A	Efficacy and harm	No study funding	0/8	0/8
Alibhai et al. [29]	Ann Intern Med/2017	17.2	23^a	2001–2014	Men with non-metastatic prostate cancer	Bisphosphonates—5 included	Placebo	Efficacy	Non-industry	3/9	0/9
Wilson et al. [30]	Ann Intern Med/2017	17.2	10^b	2003–2012	Adults with chronic kidney disease	Bisphosphonates—4 included, raloxifene, denosumab, teriparatide	Placebo, no treatment, active control	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	0/8	0/8
Baxi et al. [31]	BMJ/2018	20.8	13	2015–2017	Patients with cancer with recurrent or metastatic disease	AntiPD-1—3 included	Chemotherapy drug, small molecule inhibitor, investigators’ choice	Harm	Non-industry	0/7	0/7
López-López et al. [32]	BMJ/2017	20.8	23	1989–2014	Adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation eligible for oral anticoagulation	DOACs—5 included	Warfarin or other vitamin K antagonist, aspirin, clopidogrel	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	0/18	0/18
Sadeghirad et al. [33]	BMJ/2017	20.8	10	1993–2017^c	Patients with sore throat	Corticosteroids—3 included	Placebo, standard care	Efficacy	No study funding	0/9	0/9
Specialty journals
Oncology
McCarthy et al. [34]	J Clin Oncol/2017	24.0	3	2012–2014	Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma	Lenalidomide	Placebo or observation	Efficacy and harm	Industry-financial support and resource^d	15/19	4/19
van Beurden-Tan et al. [35]	J Clin Oncol/2017	24.0	17	2005–2016	Adults with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma	NMA: 18 treatments for multiple myeloma	N/A	Efficacy	Non-industry	5/5	0/5
Abdel-Qadir et al. [36]	Ann Oncol/2017	11.9	16	1983–2013	Adults with cancer	NMA: dexrazoxane, angiotensin antagonist, beta-blockers, statins, co-enzyme Q-10, prenylamine, N-acetylcysteine	Placebo or no treatment	Efficacy	Not reported	0/7	0/7
Cardiology
Siontis et al. [37]	Circulation/2017	19.3	4	2014–2016	Patients with valvular heart disease	DOAC—4 included	Warfarin	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	1/4	0/4
Renda et al. [38]	J Am Coll Cardiol/2017	19.9	4	2009–2013	Patients with atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease	NOAC—4 included	Warfarin	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	3/4	0/4
Lau et al. [39]	J Am Coll Cardiol/2017	19.9	7	2007–2015	Patients with coronary artery disease	Potent P2Y12 inhibitors—3 types included	Placebo or clopidogrel	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	13/16	0/16
Respiratory medicine
Verberkt et al. [40]	Eur Respir J/2017	10.6	22^e	1982–2015	Patients with chronic breathlessness due to advanced disease	Opioids—8 included	Placebo	Efficacy	Non-industry	3/9	0/9
Ding et al. [41]	J Thorac Oncol/2017	10.3	16	2008–2015	Treatment-naive patients with advanced EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer	EGFR TKI—3 included	EGFR TKI—3 included	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	0/8	0/8
Lee et al. [42]	J Thorac Oncol/2017	10.3	3	2015–2016	Patients with metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer	Immune checkpoint inhibitors—3 included	Docetaxel	Efficacy	Not reported	0/7	0/7
Endocrinology
Bethel et al. [43]	Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol/2018	19.7	4	2015–2017	Adults with type 2 diabetes	GLP-1 receptor agonists—4 included	Placebo	Efficacy and harm	Industry-financial support	15/17	3/17
de Carvalho et al. [44]	Diabetes Care/2018	11.9	20	2012–2016	Participants with familial or non-familial hypercholesterolemia	PCSK9 inhibitors—3 included	Placebo, ezetimibe, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, standard therapy	Efficacy	Not reported	0/3	0/3
Maiorino et al. [45]	Diabetes Care/2017	11.9	26	2011–2016	Adults with type 2 diabetes	Insulin regimens plus GLP-1 receptor agonists	Insulin regimens	Efficacy	Not reported	2/6	0/6
Gastroenterology
Khera et al. [46]	Gastroenterology/2018	18.4	28	1998–2015	Obese or overweight adults	NMA: orlistat, lorcaserin, naltrexone-bupropion, liraglutide, phentermine-topiramate	Alternate treatment or placebo	Efficacy	No study funding	0/9	0/9
Nelson et al. [47]	GUT/2017	16.7	21	2003–2015	Adults with chronic idiopathic constipation	NMA: diphenyl methanes or derivatives—2 included, 5-HT4 receptor agonists—3 included, GC-C receptor agonist—1 included, chloride channel type 2 opener—1 included, apical sodium bile acid—1 included	N/A	Efficacy	Not reported	1/9	0/9
Ford et al. [48]	GUT/2017	16.7	13	1986–2015	Adults (participants aged > 16 years) with functional dyspepsia	Psychotropic drugs—6 classes	Placebo	Efficacy and harm	Not reported	0/6	0/6
Cochrane reviews
Tenforde et al. [49]	Cochrane Database Syst Rev/2018	6.3	13	1997–2018	Adults with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis	NMA: antifungal drugs, adjunctive drugs	N/A	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	1/7	0/7
McNicol et al. [50]	Cochrane Database Syst Rev/2018	6.3	11^f	1992–2012	Pediatric patients with postoperative pain	Ketorolac	Placebo, opioid	Harm	Non-industry	1/3	0/3
Normansell et al. [51]	Cochrane Database Syst Rev/2018	6.3	4^g	1974-2016	Adults and children with exacerbations of asthma	Macrolide antibiotics—3 included, penicillin—2 included	Placebo	Efficacy and harm	Non-industry	0/6	0/6

5-HT4 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4, DOAC direct-acting oral anticoagulant, DPP-4 dipeptidyl peptidase 4, EGFR epidermal growth factor receptor, GC-C guanylate cyclase C, GLP-1 glucagon-like peptide-1, Gp IIb/IIIa glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, N/A not applicable (no placebo or no treatment arm in NMA), NMA network meta-analysis, NOAC non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, PCSK9 proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, PD-1 programmed cell death protein 1, SGLT-2 sodium-glucose cotransporter 2, TKI tyrosine kinase inhibitors
^aThe systematic review included 27 RCTs in total, of which 23 had their results pooled
^bThe systematic review included 13 RCTs in total, of which 10 had their results pooled
^cThe date for 1 of the included RCTs was reported as 1994 in a single figure and 1993 in all other instances; therefore, 1993 was used as the beginning of the date range of included studies
^dThe systematic review included an acknowledgment thanking Kristina Hernandez and Peter Simon for medical writing assistance, sponsored by Celgene Corporation, which was coded as industry funding in the form of resources
^eThe systematic review included 35 RCTs in total, of which 22 had their results pooled
^fThe systematic review included 13 RCTs in total, of which 11 had their results pooled
^gThe systematic review included 6 RCTs in total, of which 4 had their results pooled

Back to article page

ISSN: 2046-4053

Contact us

Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us
General enquiries: info@biomedcentral.com