Impact of methodological choices in comparative effectiveness studies: application in natalizumab versus fingolimod comparison among patients with multiple sclerosis

Lefort, M; Sharmin, S; Andersen, J B; Vukusic, S; Casey, R; Debouverie, M; Edan, G; Ciron, J; Ruet, A; De Sèze, J; Maillart, E; Zephir, H; Labauge, P; Defer, G; Lebrun-Frenay, C; Moreau, T; Berger, E; Clavelou, P; Pelletier, J; Stankoff, B; Gout, O; Thouvenot, E; Heinzlef, O; Al-Khedr, A; Bourre, B; Casez, O; Cabre, P; Montcuquet, A; Wahab, A; Camdessanché, J P; Maurousset, A; Ben Nasr, H; Hankiewicz, K; Pottier, C; Maubeuge, N; Dimitri-Boulos, D; Nifle, C; Laplaud, D A; Horakova, D; Havrdova, E K; Alroughani, R; Izquierdo, G; Eichau, S; Ozakbas, S; Patti, F; Onofrj, M; Lugaresi, A; Terzi, M; Grammond, P; Grand'Maison, F; Yamout, B; Prat, A; Girard, M; Duquette, P; Boz, C; Trojano, M; Mccombe, P; Slee, M; Lechner-Scott, J; Turkoglu, R; Sola, P; Ferraro, D; Granella, F; Shaygannejad, V; Prevost, J; Maimone, D; Skibina, O; Buzzard, K; Van der Walt, A; Karabudak, R; Van Wijmeersch, B; Csepany, T; Spitaleri, D; Vucic, S; Koch-Henriksen, N; Sellebjerg, F; Soerensen, P S; Hilt Christensen, C C; Rasmussen, P V; Jensen, M B; Frederiksen, J L; Bramow, S; Mathiesen, H K; Schreiber, K I; Butzkueven, H; Magyari, M; Kalincik, T; Leray, E

doi:10.1186/s12874-022-01623-8

Natalizumab and fingolimod are used as high-efficacy treatments in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Several observational studies comparing these two drugs have shown variable results, using different methods to control treatment indication bias and manage censoring. The objective of this empirical study was to elucidate the impact of methods of causal inference on the results of comparative effectiveness studies.

Lefort, M., Sharmin, S., Andersen, J.B., Vukusic, S., Casey, R., Debouverie, M., et al. (2022). Impact of methodological choices in comparative effectiveness studies: application in natalizumab versus fingolimod comparison among patients with multiple sclerosis. BMC MEDICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, 22(1), 1-14 [10.1186/s12874-022-01623-8].