Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31228010›Full record

ArticleDrug safety2019

Effectiveness and Safety of Switching Originator and Biosimilar Epoetins in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in a Large-Scale Italian Cohort Study.

Valeria Belleudi, Francesco Trotta, Antonio Addis, Ylenia Ingrasciotta, Valentina Ientile, Michele Tari, Rosa Gini, Maurizio Pastorello, Salvatore Scondotto, Pasquale Cananzi and 4 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug safety, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. No two classes of biosimilars: Urgent advice to the US Congress and the FDA.Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics · 2022
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Clinical and Regulatory Concerns of Biosimilars: A Review of Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
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

14 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Valeria BelleudiDepartment of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Via Cristoforo Colombo, 112, 00147, Rome, Italy. v.belleudi@deplazio.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8286-443X
Francesco TrottaItalian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.
Antonio AddisDepartment of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Via Cristoforo Colombo, 112, 00147, Rome, Italy.
Ylenia IngrasciottaDepartment of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Valentina IentileUnit of Clinical Pharmacology, A.O.U. Policlinico "G. Martino", Messina, Italy.
Michele TariCaserta-1 Local Health Service, Caserta, Italy.
Rosa GiniToscana Regional Healthcare Agency, Florence, Italy.
Maurizio PastorelloDepartment of Pharmacy, Palermo Local Health Unit, Palermo, Italy.
Salvatore ScondottoDepartment of Epidemiologic Observatory, Health Department of Sicily, Palermo, Italy.
Pasquale CananziSicilian Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, Servizio 7-Farmaceutica, Health Department of Sicily, Palermo, Italy.
Giuseppe TraversaPharmacoepidemiology Unit, National Centre for Epidemiology, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Marina DavoliDepartment of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Via Cristoforo Colombo, 112, 00147, Rome, Italy.
Gianluca TrifiròDepartment of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Italian Biosimilar Network (ItaBioNet)
Regione Siciliana · ITUniversity of Messina · ITAgenzia Regionale di Sanità della Toscana · ITAgenzia Regionale Parchi · ITAzienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico "G. Martino" · ITItalian Medicines Agency · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionReal-world data on the comparative effectiveness and safety of switching among different epoetins (including originators and biosimilars) are limited. In light of current debate about interchangeability, prescribers, some patient groups and decision makers are calling for additional post-marketing evidence on the clinical effects of switching between originator and biosimilar epoetins in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

objectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of switching versus non-switching and of switching from originator/biosimilar epoetin alpha (ESA α) to any other epoetin in CKD patients.

methodsAn observational, record-linkage, multi-database, retrospective cohort study was carried out in four Italian geographical areas. All subjects with at least one ESA α dispensing between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2015 were retrieved. Switching was defined as any transition between originator/biosimilar ESA α to any other epoetin in a series of two consecutive prescriptions up to 2 years. Switchers were matched 1:1 with non-switchers by baseline propensity score and by duration of ESA α treatment. Switchers and non-switchers were followed up from switching date to a maximum of 1 year. Lack of effectiveness and safety of switching versus non-switching were evaluated through Cox regression models (hazard ratio [HR], 95% confidence interval [CI]). A direct comparison between the two switcher categories (switchers from originator/biosimilar ESA α to any other epoetin) was also performed.

resultsOverall, 14,400 incident users of ESA α for anaemia due to CKD (61.4% originator, 38.6% biosimilar) were available for analysis. During the follow-up, we found no differences on effectiveness (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.79-1.31 originators; HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.75-1.79 biosimilars) and safety outcomes (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.77-1.50 originators; HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.66-2.21 biosimilars) between switchers and non-switchers of ESA α. Cumulative probabilities of recording an adverse event, either in terms of lack of effectiveness or safety issue, were the same for two switching categories

conclusionsIn this large-scale Italian observational multi-database study, switching versus non-switching as well as switching from biosimilar/originator ESA α to any other epoetin in CKD patients is not associated with any effectiveness and safety outcomes.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnemiaBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsCohort StudiesEpoetin AlfaErythropoietinFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansItalyMaleMedical Record LinkageMiddle AgedProduct Surveillance, PostmarketingBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsEpoetin AlfaEPO protein, humanErythropoietin

Identifiers

PMID31228010
PMCPMC6858470
OpenAlexW2949158128

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.