scholarly journals Clinical trial emulation can identify new opportunities to enhance the regulation of drug safety in pregnancy.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anup P. Challa ◽  
Xinnan Niu ◽  
Etoi A. Garrison ◽  
Sara L. Van Driest ◽  
Lisa M. Bastarache ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Medication History ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Regulatory Review ◽  
Drug Classes ◽  
Expert Clinician ◽  
In Pregnancy

From the perspective of most regulatory agencies, it is usually unethical to perform interventional clinical trials on pregnant people. While this policy recognizes the vulnerability of an expectant mother and unborn child, it has created a public health emergency for millions of pregnant patients through a dearth of robust safety data for many common drugs. To address this problem, we harnessed an enterprise collection of 2.8M electronic health records (EHRs) originally collected from routine primary care, leveraging the data linkage between mothers and their babies to create a surrogate for randomized, controlled drug trials in this population. To demonstrate the feasibility of our clinical trial emulation platform to stimulate new hypotheses for post-market drug surveillance, we identified 1,054 drugs historically prescribed to pregnant patients and developed a medication history-wide association study and follow-up evidence synthesis platform (leveraging expert clinician review and real-world data analysis) to test the effects of maternal exposure to these drugs on the incidence of neurodevelopmental defects in their children. Our results replicate known teratogenic risks and existing knowledge on drug structure-related teratogenic risks. Herein, we highlight 5 common drug classes that we believe warrant further assessment of their safety in pregnancy. We also discuss our efforts to develop a discovery-to-regulatory framework that could allow for pragmatic translation of our results to enhanced regulatory policy. Collectively, our work presents a simple approach to evaluating the utility of EHRs in guiding new regulatory review programs focused on improving the delicate equipoise of accuracy and ethics inherent to assessing drug safety in an extremely vulnerable patient population.

scholarly journals Two-stage Bayesian hierarchical modeling for blinded and unblinded safety monitoring in randomized clinical trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhao Liu ◽  
Jo Wick ◽  
Renee’ H. Martin ◽  
Caitlyn Meinzer ◽  
Dooti Roy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Safety Monitoring ◽  
Safety Signal ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Stage 1

Abstract Background Monitoring and reporting of drug safety during a clinical trial is essential to its success. More recent attention to drug safety has encouraged statistical methods development for monitoring and detecting potential safety signals. This paper investigates the potential impact of the process of the blinded investigator identifying a potential safety signal, which should be further investigated by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board with an unblinded safety data analysis. Methods In this paper, two-stage Bayesian hierarchical models are proposed for safety signal detection following a pre-specified set of interim analyses that are applied to efficacy. At stage 1, a hierarchical blinded model uses blinded safety data to detect a potential safety signal and at stage 2, a hierarchical logistic model is applied to confirm the signal with unblinded safety data. Results Any interim safety monitoring analysis is usually scheduled via negotiation between the trial sponsor and the Data and Safety Monitoring Board. The proposed safety monitoring process starts once 53 subjects have been enrolled into an eight-arm phase II clinical trial for the first interim analysis. Operating characteristics describing the performance of this proposed workflow are investigated using simulations based on the different scenarios. Conclusions The two-stage Bayesian safety procedure in this paper provides a statistical view to monitor safety during the clinical trials. The proposed two-stage monitoring model has an excellent accuracy of detecting and flagging a potential safety signal at stage 1, and with the most important feature that further action at stage 2 could confirm the safety issue.

scholarly journals Systematic review of statistical methods for safety data in malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy trials

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Patson ◽  
Mavuto Mukaka ◽  
Kennedy N Otwombe ◽  
Lawrence Kazembe ◽  
Don P Mathanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Missing Data ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Antimalarial Drugs ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Safety Outcomes ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Background Drug safety assessments in clinical trials present unique analytical challenges. Some of these include adjusting for individual follow-up time, repeated measurements of multiple outcomes and missing data among others. Furthermore, pre-specifying appropriate analysis becomes difficult as some safety endpoints are unexpected. Although existing guidelines such as CONSORT encourage thorough reporting of adverse events (AEs) in clinical trials, they provide limited details for safety data analysis. The limited guidelines may influence suboptimal analysis by failing to account for some analysis challenges above. A typical example where such challenges exist are trials of antimalarial drugs for malaria prevention during pregnancy. Lack of proper standardized evaluation of the safety of antimalarial drugs has limited the ability to draw conclusions about safety. We have therefore conducted a systematic review to establish the current practice in statistical analysis for antimalarial drug safety in pregnancy.Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Malaria in Pregnancy Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for original English articles reporting Phase III (randomized controlled trials) RCTs on antimalarial drugs for malaria prevention in pregnancy published from January 2010 to July 2019.Results Eighteen trials were included in this review that collected multiple longitudinal safety outcomes including AEs. Statistical analysis and reporting of the safety outcomes in all the trials used descriptive statistics; proportions/counts (n=18, 100%) and mean/median (n=2, 11.1%). Results presentation included tabular (n=16, 88.9%) and text description (n=2, 11.1%). Univariate inferential methods were reported in most trials (n=16, 88.9%); including Chi-square/Fisher`s exact test (n=12, 66.7%), t-test (n=2, 11.1%) and Mann-Whitney/Wilcoxon test (n=1, 5.6%). Multivariable methods, including Poisson and negative binomial were reported in few trials (n=4, 22.2%). Assessment of a potential link between missing efficacy data and safety outcomes was not reported in any of the trials that reported efficacy missing data (n=7, 38.9%).Conclusion The review demonstrated that statistical analysis of safety data in antimalarial drugs for malarial chemoprevention in pregnancy RCTs are inadequate. The analysis insufficiently account for multiple safety outcomes potential dependence, follow-up time and informative missing data which can compromise antimalarial drug safety evidence development, based on the available data.

scholarly journals Systematic review of statistical methods for safety data in malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy trials

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Patson ◽  
Mavuto Mukaka ◽  
Kennedy N Otwombe ◽  
Lawrence Kazembe ◽  
Don P Mathanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Missing Data ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Safety Outcomes ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Background Drug safety assessments in clinical trials present unique analytical challenges. Some of these include adjusting for individual follow-up time, repeated measurements of multiple outcomes and missing data among others. Furthermore, pre-specifying appropriate analysis becomes difficult as some safety endpoints are unexpected. Although existing guidelines such as CONSORT encourage thorough reporting of adverse events (AEs) in clinical trials, they provide limited details for safety data analysis. The limited guidelines may influence suboptimal analysis by failing to account for some analysis challenges above. A typical example where such challenges exist are trials of anti-malarial drugs for malaria prevention during pregnancy. Lack of proper standardized evaluation of the safety of antimalarial drugs has limited the ability to draw conclusions about safety. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to establish the current practice in statistical analysis for preventive antimalarial drug safety in pregnancy. Methods The search included five databased (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Malaria in Pregnancy Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) to identify original English articles reporting Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on anti-malarial drugs for malaria prevention in pregnancy published from January 2010 to July 2019. Results Eighteen trials were included in this review that collected multiple longitudinal safety outcomes including AEs. Statistical analysis and reporting of the safety outcomes in all the trials used descriptive statistics; proportions/counts (n=18, 100%) and mean/median (n=2, 11.1%). Results presentation included tabular (n=16, 88.9%) and text description (n=2, 11.1%). Univariate inferential methods were reported in most trials (n=16, 88.9%); including Chi-square/Fisher`s exact test (n=12, 66.7%), t-test (n=2, 11.1%) and Mann-Whitney/Wilcoxon test (n=1, 5.6%). Multivariable methods, including Poisson and negative binomial were reported in few trials (n=4, 22.2%). Assessment of a potential link between missing efficacy data and safety outcomes was not reported in any of the trials that reported efficacy missing data (n=7, 38.9%). Conclusion The review demonstrated that statistical analysis of safety data in anti-malarial drugs for malarial chemoprevention in pregnancy RCTs is inadequate. The analyses insufficiently account for multiple safety outcomes potential dependence, follow-up time and informative missing data which can compromise anti-malarial drug safety evidence development, based on the available data.

scholarly journals Systematic review of statistical methods for safety data in malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy trials

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Patson ◽  
Mavuto Mukaka ◽  
Kennedy N Otwombe ◽  
Lawrence Kazembe ◽  
Don P Mathanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Missing Data ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Antimalarial Drugs ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Safety Outcomes ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Background Drug safety assessments in clinical trials present unique analytical challenges. Some of these include adjusting for individual follow-up time, repeated measurements of multiple outcomes and missing data among others. Furthermore, pre-specifying appropriate analysis becomes difficult as some safety endpoints are unexpected. Although existing guidelines such as CONSORT encourage thorough reporting of adverse events (AEs) in clinical trials, they provide limited details for safety data analysis. The limited guidelines may influence suboptimal analysis by failing to account for some analysis challenges above. A typical example where such challenges exist are trials of antimalarial drugs for malaria prevention during pregnancy. Lack of proper standardized evaluation of the safety of antimalarial drugs has limited the ability to draw conclusions about safety. We have therefore conducted a systematic review to establish the current practice in statistical analysis for antimalarial drug safety in pregnancy. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Malaria in Pregnancy Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for original English articles reporting Phase III (randomized controlled trials) RCTs on antimalarial drugs for malaria prevention in pregnancy published from January 2010 to July 2019. Results Eighteen trials were included in this review that collected multiple longitudinal safety outcomes including AEs. Statistical analysis and reporting of the safety outcomes in all the trials used descriptive statistics; proportions/counts (n=18, 100%) and mean/median (n=2, 11.1%). Results presentation included tabular (n=16, 88.9%) and text description (n=2, 11.1%). Univariate inferential methods were reported in most trials (n=16, 88.9%); including Chi-square/Fisher`s exact test (n=12, 66.7%), t-test (n=2, 11.1%) and Mann-Whitney/Wilcoxon test (n=1, 5.6%). Multivariable methods, including Poisson and negative binomial were reported in few trials (n=4, 22.2%). Assessment of a potential link between missing efficacy data and safety outcomes was not reported in any of the trials that reported efficacy missing data (n=7, 38.9%). Conclusion The review demonstrated that statistical analysis of safety data in antimalarial drugs for malarial chemoprevention in pregnancy RCTs are inadequate. The analysis insufficiently account for multiple safety outcomes potential dependence, follow-up time and informative missing data which can compromise antimalarial drug safety evidence development, based on the available data.

scholarly journals Tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in patients treated with certolizumab pegol in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide: real-world and clinical trial data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chak Sing Lau ◽  
Yi-Hsing Chen ◽  
Keith Lim ◽  
Marc de Longueville ◽  
Catherine Arendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Real World ◽  
Certolizumab Pegol ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Hbv Reactivation ◽  
Post Marketing

Abstract Introduction/objectives To evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) during certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment, worldwide and in Asia-Pacific countries, across clinical trials and post-marketing reports (non-interventional studies and real-world practice). Method CZP safety data were pooled across 49 clinical trials from 1998 to June 2017. Post-marketing reports were from initial commercialization until March 2015 (TB)/February 2017 (HBV/HCV). All suspected TB and HBV/HCV cases underwent centralized retrospective review by external experts. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated per 100 patient-years (PY) of CZP exposure. Results Among 11,317 clinical trial patients (21,695 PY), 62 TB cases were confirmed (IR 0.29/100 PY) including 2 in Japan (0.10/100 PY) and 3 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.58/100 PY). From > 238,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, there were 31 confirmed TB cases (0.01/100 PY): 5 in Japan (0.05/100 PY), 1 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.03/100 PY). Reported regional TB IRs were highest in eastern Europe (0.17/100 PY), central Europe (0.09/100 PY), and Mexico (0.16/100 PY). Across clinical trials, there was 1 confirmed HBV reactivation and no HCV cases. From > 420,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, 5 HBV/HCV cases were confirmed (0.001/100 PY): 2 HCV reactivations; 1 new HCV; plus 2 HBV reactivations in Japan (0.008/100 PY). Conclusions CZP TB risk is aligned with nationwide TB rates, being slightly higher in Asia-Pacific countries excluding Japan. Overall, TB and HBV/HCV risk with CZP treatment is currently relatively low, as risk can be minimized with patient/physician education, screening, and vigilant treatment, according to international guidelines. Key Points:• TB rates were highest in eastern/central Europe, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific regions.• With the implementation of stricter TB screening and risk evaluations in 2007, especially in high TB incidence countries, there was a notable reduction TB occurrence.• Safety profile of biologics in real-world settings complements controlled studies.• TB and hepatitis (HBV/HCV) risk with certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment is low.

Fish Oil Supplementation in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopment in Childhood—A Randomized Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laerke Sass ◽  
Elín Bjarnadóttir ◽  
Jakob Stokholm ◽  
Bo Chawes ◽  
Rebecca K. Vinding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Fish Oil ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trial ◽  
Fish Oil Supplementation ◽  
In Pregnancy

scholarly journals Legislation and current developments in adverse drug reaction reporting in Mongolia: how far are we?

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzaan Zulzaga ◽  
Erdenetuya Myagmarsuren ◽  
Herman J. Woerdenbag ◽  
Eugene P. van Puijenbroek
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Drug Reaction ◽  
Drug Reaction ◽  
Drug Safety ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Reaction Reporting ◽  
Adr Reporting

AbstractMonitoring adverse drug reactions is a vital issue to ensure drug safety and to protect the general public from medication-related harmful effects. In order to properly monitor drug safety, a regulatory system needs to be in place as well as an infrastructure that allows for analyzing national and international safety data. In Mongolia, adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting activities have been implemented in the past decade. During this period, the basic structure and legal basis of an adverse drug reaction monitoring system was established. Because of the fragmented but growing healthcare system and the complexity of pharmaceutical issues in Mongolia, a sustainable process for the development of the adverse drug reaction reporting system is a key issue. The aim of this article is to disclose the Mongolian situation for the rest of the world and to share experiences on how an ADR reporting system can be developed towards a higher and more advanced level to contribute to both national and international drug safety issues. In this article, we review the features of the Mongolian health care and pharmaceutical systems, as well as the current development of the adverse drug reaction reporting system.

scholarly journals A phase IV, multi-centre, randomized clinical trial comparing two pertussis-containing vaccines in pregnant women in England and vaccine responses in their infants

BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Elizabeth Jones ◽  
Anna Calvert ◽  
Jo Southern ◽  
Mary Matheson ◽  
Nick Andrews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trial ◽  
Pertussis Toxin ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Primary Immunization ◽  
Link Type ◽  
In Pregnancy ◽  
Pertussis Antigens ◽  
Phase Iv

Abstract Background Pertussis vaccines containing three or five pertussis antigens are recommended in pregnancy in many countries, but no studies have compared the effect on infants’ antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations. The aim of this study was to compare anti-pertussis IgG responses following primary immunization in infants of mothers vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (low dose diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis [five antigens] and inactivated polio) or TdaP3-IPV in pregnancy (three pertussis antigens). Methods This multi-centre phase IV randomized clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary referral centre and primary care sites in England. Women were randomized to receive TdaP5-IPV (n = 77) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 77) at 28–32 gestational weeks. A non-randomized control group of 44 women who had not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in pregnancy and their 47 infants were enrolled post-partum. Results Following infant primary immunization, there was no difference in the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of anti-pertussis toxin, filamentous haemagglutinin or pertactin IgG between infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (n = 67) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 63). However, the GMC of anti-pertussis toxin IgG was lower in infants born to TdaP5-IPV- and TdaP3-IPV-vaccinated mothers compared to infants born to unvaccinated mothers (n = 45) (geometric mean ratio 0.71 [0.56–0.90] and 0.78 [0.61–0.98], respectively); by 13 months of age, this difference was no longer observed. Conclusion Blunting of anti-pertussis toxin IgG response following primary immunization occurs in infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV and TdaP3-IPV, with no difference between maternal vaccines. The blunting effect had resolved by 13 months of age. These results may be helpful for countries considering which pertussis-containing vaccine to recommend for use in pregnancy. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02145624, registered 23 May 2014

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document