Enhancing Regulatory Science - Methodologies for Meta-Analysis
In PDUFA V, FDA agreed to a set of commitments regarding meta-analysis which refers to the combining of evidence from independent studies using appropriate statistical methods. Although many external stakeholders conduct meta-analyses, FDA’s use of meta-analyses and other safety evaluation tools has the potential to result in consequential regulatory actions, including market withdrawal or concluding that a safety concern is not supported by data.
As a result, FDA must adopt a rigorous approach to these analyses and be transparent regarding its evidentiary standards and how it weighs the evidence of a meta-analysis in arriving at a decision or regulatory action. As such, FDA’s commitments focus on best practices for the conduct of meta-analyses and FDA’s intended approach for the use of meta-analyses in regulatory decision-making.
The links below provide more information on FDA’s work in this area during PDUFA V.
Meta-Analysis Public Meeting
- Public Meeting on Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials for the Evaluation of Risk to Support Regulatory Decisions
- Federal Register Notice for Meta-Analysis Public Meeting
- White Paper for Meta-Analyses Public Meeting