Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37607959›Full record

SynthesisScientific reports2023

Impact of switching between reference biologics and biosimilars of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Bruna de Oliveira Ascef, Matheus Oliveira Almeida, Ana Cristina de Medeiros-Ribeiro, Danieli Castro de Oliveira Andrade, Haliton Alves de Oliveira Junior, Patrícia Coelho de Soárez

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Impact of Nonmedical Adalimumab Switches in a Rheumatology Patient Population.The Journal of pharmacy technology : jPT : official publication of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians · 2026
    Article
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Beyond Cost: Observations on Clinical and Patient Benefits of Biosimilars in Real-World Settings.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
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

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Bruna de Oliveira AscefDepartamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina - FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455 - 2º andar - sala 2214, São Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil. brunaascef16@gmail.com.
Matheus Oliveira AlmeidaHealth Technology Assessment Unit, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ana Cristina de Medeiros-RibeiroDisciplina de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Danieli Castro de Oliveira AndradeDisciplina de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Haliton Alves de Oliveira JuniorHealth Technology Assessment Unit, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil.
Patrícia Coelho de SoárezDepartamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina - FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz · BRHospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo · BRUniversidade de São Paulo · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

What is the impact of switching between biologics and biosimilars of adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab on efficacy and safety for rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review and network meta-analysis were performed to compare switching and non-switching groups of treatments. Pooled Risk Relative (RR) or standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs) were obtained. Seventeen randomized trials with a switching phase involving 6,562 patients were included. Results showed that a single switch from biologics to biosimilars compared to continuing biologics had comparable effects for primary and co-primary outcomes, the American College of Rheumatology criteria with 20% response (ACR20) (7 trials, 1,926 patients, RR 0.98, 95% CrIs 0.93 to 1.03) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) (5 trials, 1,609 patients, SMD - 0.07, 95% CrIs - 0.23 to 0.1), and within the equivalence margins: ACR20 [RR 0.94, 1.06] and HAQ-DI [SMD - 0.22, 0.22]. The risk of treatment-emergent adverse events, discontinuation, and positive anti-drug antibodies were comparable after switching. Safety results were imprecise, and the follow-up period might not be sufficient to evaluate long-term effects, especially malignancies. Overall, the practice of single switching between approved biologics and biosimilars of Tumour Necrosis Factor inhibitors is efficacious and safe for rheumatoid arthritis.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsHumansInfliximabTumor Necrosis Factor InhibitorsBiosimilar PharmaceuticalsInfliximabTumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID37607959
PMCPMC10444768
OpenAlexW4386074092

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.