Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24569841›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2014

Is the decision on the use of biosimilar growth hormone based on high quality scientific evidence? - a systematic review.

Linda Fryklund, Martin Ritzén, Göran Bertilsson, Marianne Heibert Arnlind

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Linda FryklundSBU, Box 3657, 103 59, Stockholm, Sweden, fryklund45@gmail.com.
Martin Ritzén
Göran Bertilsson
Marianne Heibert Arnlind

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe authors carried out a systematic and critical review of the scientific literature regarding the possible development of neutralising antibodies developed in patients treated with growth hormone biosimilars (defined as a drug expected to be similar to the originator or original pharmaceutical -European Medicines Agency) as compared to the reference drug. As a consequence, we discovered two major issues, namely, the poor quality of the comparative clinical trials and the poor quality of the antibody assays used during the trials.

methodsThe literature review was performed according to the principle of the Cochrane Collaboration and SBU. The electronic literature search included the databases PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library up to December 2012. Two independent reviewers assessed abstracts and full-text articles.

resultsThe search identified 1,553 abstracts related to the subject. Only six articles contained data on biosimilar growth hormone or antibody results obtained with appropriate methods. None of the studies fulfilled the criteria for high quality randomised controlled trials. Qualitative rather than quantitative assays were used for monitoring antibody formation.

conclusionsIt is our firm opinion , that since biosimilars are not identical, emphasis must be placed on the quality of the comparative clinical trials performed and the quality of the analytical studies in order to guarantee patient safety. Clinical trials should follow established quality rules for controlled comparative randomised clinical trials. A whole set of new guidelines is required.

Indexed as

Biosimilar PharmaceuticalsAntibody FormationClinical Trials as TopicDrug ApprovalHuman Growth HormoneHumansLegislation, DrugRecombinant ProteinsBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsHuman Growth HormoneRecombinant Proteins

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.