Narcolepsy, a neurological disorder marked by persistent daytime sleepiness and unpredictable episodes of sudden sleep onset, significantly disrupts daily activities for those affected. Managing this condition involves a multifaceted approach, combining pharmacological, behavioral, and immunotherapy options. Addressing our client's interest in understanding the efficacy and safety of the available narcolepsy medications, and the impact in patient’s quality of life and other outcomes, we conducted a comprehensive analysis, extracting data from 150 articles using a predefined grid for this project.
Therapy area: Neurology

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by abnormal clonal B-cell growth in the bone marrow, resulting in various complications such as hypercalcemia, renal impairment, anemia, bone fractures, and increased susceptibility to infections. One particularly challenging phase of the disease is known as relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). RRMM is defined as a condition where the disease continues to advance despite attempts at salvage therapy or within 60 days of the last treatment, even in patients who initially showed at least a minimal response to treatment. An even more formidable subset within RRMM is referred to as triple class refractory (TCR) MM. TCR MM signifies disease progression after receiving treatment with a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory drug, and a CD-38 antibody.

Our client was interested in gathering evidence about the clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes of systemic pharmacological anti-cancer therapies when used in the management of RRMM. In addition to clinical trial evidence, our client was also interested in gathering evidence from published real-world evidence (RWE) studies. For this project, we screened over 400 articles for relevant records and extracted data from over 60 articles using a pre-specified data extraction grid.
Therapy area: Oncology

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is distinguished by an uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid blasts within the bloodstream, bone marrow, and possibly other tissues. Symptoms of AML may include fatiguability, easy bruising and bleeding, shortness of breath, and increased risk of infection. AML can occasionally spread to skin, brain, or gums. Being an acute leukemia, AML is characterized by rapid progression, and if left untreated, is typically fatal within weeks or months.

Our client was interested in compiling comprehensive evidence encompassing clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes surrounding newly diagnosed AML treated with non-intensive chemotherapy This information was intended to bolster future health technology assessment (HTA) submissions for a novel product to treat AML. For this project, we conducted a rigorous two-level screening of around 11,000 articles, based on the eligibility criteria drafted by the client and and identified the records that contained the most relevant information pertaining to the objectives of the review.
Therapy area: Oncology

Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) is a highly aggressive manifestation of prostate cancer. In this advanced stage, cancer cells exhibit a remarkable capacity to proliferate and metastasize, even when hormonal therapy is no longer effective, posing significant management challenges. mCRPC is frequently linked with reduced survival rates, as it tends to progress rapidly and develop resistance to conventional treatment modalities. Ongoing research endeavors are dedicated to pioneering novel therapies and targeted interventions aimed at enhancing the prognosis and overall quality of life for individuals grappling with this formidable and insidious disease. With a focus on early detection, personalized treatment strategies, and the continual advancement of medical science, there is a glimmer of hope in the battle against mCRPC, offering optimism to those confronted by this complex condition.

Our client was interested in generating a comprehensive evidence base surrounding clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes of adult patients with mCRPC. For this project, we conducted screening of around 4,000 articles across two levels and extracted relevant data from over 100 records, using the data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) stands as the most prevalent subtype of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), comprising approximately 31% of newly diagnosed cases. This aggressive form of lymphoma originates in B cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for immune response regulation. DLBCL is characterized by its rapid growth and can manifest in various parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial, as the condition can progress swiftly. Advances in medical research and therapy options continue to improve outcomes for DLBCL patients, underscoring the importance of ongoing research in the field.

Our client was interested in generating evidence surrounding clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes for stem cell therapy-ineligible DLBCL patients beyond second-line therapy. For this project, we conducted a rigorous screening of around 11,000 articles across two levels at break-neck speed and extracted relevant data from approximately 200 records using the data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder due to weak peristalsis of the stomach muscles, characterized by delayed stomach emptying without a blockage, and usually presents with nausea, heartburn, vomiting, early satiety, and boating sensation. Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe vomiting that occur at regular intervals, typically with symptom-free periods in between; the underlying cause of CVS is not fully understood, but it is thought to be related to abnormal functioning of the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.

Our client was interested to generate evidence surrounding epidemiology, treatment patterns, and economic burden of gastroparesis and CVS. For this project, we extracted data from over 50 articles in the extraction template provided by the client.
Therapy area: Gynaecology

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most common benign tumors in women, affecting up to 70–80% of women by the age of 50. The symptoms of these monoclonal tumors that originate from uterine smooth muscle include abnormal uterine bleeding, including heavy menstrual bleeding leading to anemia, pelvic pain, reproductive dysfunction, and obstetric complications. UFs are also associated with significant impact on the quality of life.

Conventional management options for UFs include hysterectomy, uterus-sparing interventions such as myomectomy, endometrial/ radiofrequency ablation, and uterine artery embolization. Medical management is usually preferred by women who desire future pregnancy, and include gonadotropin antagonists such as relugolix, progestin modulators such as mifepristone and ulipristal, and certain off-label medications. Nevertheless, medical management of UFs still remain an unmet need.

Our client was interested in updating an existing three-volume systematic literature review surrounding the clinical outcomes, humanistic outcomes, and economic impact of different treatment options for UFs, following the NICE template. For this project, we provided end-to-end support, beginning from executing search strategy, preparing screening sheets, screening over 800 records over 2 rounds including published articles, conference abstracts, and clinical trial records, preparing data extraction template, extracting data from around 20 records, performing quality assessment, and updating the three SLR reports including rectifying a few inconsistencies.
Therapy area: Gynaecology

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is often performed as a treatment modality for cancers involving blood or bone marrow, including multiple myelomas and various forms of leukemias. One of the complications following HSCT is thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), in which there is endothelial injury due to multiple factors, leading to microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, intravascular platelet activation, and formation of thrombi within the microcirculation. HSCT-TMA is associated with end-organ injury involving kidney, lungs, and gastro-intestinal tract among others, primarily due to ischemia and activation of complement cascade.

Our client was interested to understand the mortality, survival, and other long-term outcomes among patients with HSCT-TMA. For this project, we performed literature screening of nearly 1400 articles over 2 rounds and identified the records that contained the most relevant information pertaining to the objectives of the review.
Therapy area: Oncology, Hematology

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) can arise from both hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (typically in the bone marrow), including B, T, and natural killer cells. Within B-cell NHL (B-NHL), there are several subtypes, including DLBCL (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma), FL (follicular lymphoma), MCL (mantle cell lymphoma), MZL (marginal zone lymphoma), SLL (small lymphocytic lymphoma), PMBCL (primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma), and HGBCL (high-grade B-cell lymphoma), to name a few. Treatment of B-NHL includes traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens; various newer treatment modalities including CAR-T therapy, small molecules and bispecific antibodies are in various phases of development.

Our client was interested to understand the adverse event profile of all available treatment modalities for B-NHL, stratified by the subtypes of B-NHL, to update an existing systematic literature review. For this project, we performed screening of over 2400 articles through two levels. We also performed preliminary data extraction from around 100 records and full data extraction from around 30 records using the data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology, Hematology

Sjögren’s syndrome is a female-predominant systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized by ‘sicca symptoms’ involving symptoms due to dryness most often involving the eyes and mouth, that develops as a result of inflammation of the lacrimal and salivary glands. Extra-glandular manifestations of Sjögren’s syndrome may include the joints, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, nervous system, and kidneys. Sjögren’s syndrome is also the second most common rheumatic autoimmune disorder, and is traditionally classified as primary or secondary, depending on the absence or presence of other major autoimmune diseases.

Our client was interested in exploring the epidemiology, clinical, economic, and humanistic Burden of illness in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome. For this project, we assisted our client by extracting data pertaining to epidemiology from over 120 articles using the data extraction template provided by the client.
Therapy area: Rheumatology

Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma, is a neoplasm involving plasma cells, and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality resulting from end organ damage, such as renal impairment, anemia, hypercalcemia, and lytic bony lesions. Treatment for MM has evolved from therapies such as autologous stem cell transplant in the 1980s, the IMIDs (including thalidomide and lenalidomide) and proteasome inhibitors in the 1990s and 2000s, and has more recently included monoclonal antibodies (daratumumab and elotuzumab) and histone deacetylating agents (panobinostat). All said, MM is still considered treatable, but generally incurable.

Our client was interested in understanding the clinical, economic, and humanistic burden of MM, and safety profile of available treatment options, in the real-world setting across the world. For this project, we assisted our client in gathering relevant data by screening through over 1500 articles (including nearly 250 conference abstracts/ posters). We also extracted data from over 60 relevant records pertaining to the disease burden of relapsed and refractory MM, in the data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology, hematology

Antipsychotic drugs are the mainstay in the management of schizophrenia, but are associated with challenges such as unpleasant adverse effects and poor adherence rates, also stemming from the disbelief on the patients’ side of having an illness (which is common in schizophrenia). To overcome these challenges, long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic drugs were developed: these can be administered at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks or even longer. The LAI versions of second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) have been associated with reduced relapse rates and reduced hospitalization outcomes.

Out client was interested to perform a network meta-analysis of LAI-SGAs vs other SGAs with a focus on outcomes related to hospitalization. For this project, we evaluated nearly 3600 records over 2 rounds of screening to identify the most relevant records that contained the outcomes of interest for performing the NMA.
Therapy area: Psychiatry

Left untreated, chronic kidney disease (CKD) can result in complications such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease (including left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic and systolic dysfunction, valvular disease, dysrhythmias, and heart failure), anemia, mineral bone disorder, salt and water retention, electrolyte disorders including metabolic acidosis, and uremic symptoms including anorexia, fatigue, cachexia, pruritus, nausea, restless leg syndrome, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction.

Our client was interested to understand the epidemiology, economic, clinical, and humanistic burdens of CKD and its different stages, including patients with ESRD (end-stage renal disease), renal transplant recipients, and CKD patients undergoing dialysis. For this project, we evaluated around 3900 records over 2 rounds of screening and identified the records containing the most relevant information.
Therapy area: Nephrology

Lung transplant has been shown to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with end-stage lung disease arising from various conditions. However, development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) can considerably affect the HRQoL. Two subtypes of CLAD have been defined: the obstructive form, Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS), and the restrictive form, Restrictive Allograft Syndrome (RAS).

Our client was interested in evaluating the humanistic outcomes pertaining to CLAD, BOS, and RAS. For this project, we extracted data from around 20 full texts identified by the client in a detailed data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Pulmonology, Transplantation medicine

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), also referred to as hot flashes, hot flushes, and night sweats, are the hallmark symptoms of menopause. The occurrence of VMS is common in midlife women; emerging data suggest that VMS may also persist into old age for some women. The frequency and severity of VMS vary widely among women, and as a result, VMS significantly impacts the lives of perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women. Though hormonal therapy is used for VMS management, usage of hormonal therapy is also associated with considerable amount of risk.

Our client was interested to characterize the burden and unmet need resulting from VMS in perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women, and to describe the impact of VMS on fatigue, anxiety and depression among all women residing in the USA. For this project, we evaluated over 4,400 records over 2 rounds of screening and identified the most suitable records to inform two different SLRs about VMS.
Therapy area: Endocrinology, Women’s health

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) are being investigated for their efficacy and safety in the management of several autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), atopic dermatitis (AD), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-AxSpa), Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Our client was interested in compiling evidence about the safety of a certain second-generation JAKi when used in the management of the autoimmune conditions mentioned above. Specifically, since direct head-to-head comparisons of this molecule with other comparators are scarce, our client wanted to focus on extracting data from published indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs) such as network meta-analyses (NMAs). For this project, we simultaneously extracted data from 35 NMAs that were obtained from a previous targeted literature review (TLR), and also performed a fresh screening of around 3500 abstracts over 2 levels to identify 5 additional NMAs for data extraction.

Impressed by the quality of work that we delivered in identifying and extracting data from ITCs, the client expanded the initial scope of work to include meta-analyses as well. For this expanded scope of work, we screened through around 1500 records that we had excluded in the previous rounds of screening, and identified around 30 meta-analyses that contained relevant information; we also extracted data from these 30 records.
Therapy area: Rheumatology

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK inhibitors or Jakinibs) are immune modulating medications that act by interfering with the JAK-STAT signalling pathway in lymphocytes by inhibiting the activity of enzymes belonging to the Janus kinase family (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, TYK2). Jakinibs have been used in the treatment of inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, and various other conditions including atopic dermatitis, Crohn’s disease, and myelofibrosis. Our client was interested to understand the pattern of usage of various approved Jakinibs in different conditions. For this project, we extracted relevant data from 82 articles into a data extraction grid shared by the client.
Therapy area: Multiple

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition affecting the heart muscle in which one or both ventricles undergo enlargement and dilation, resulting in impaired contractility, leading to a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of < 40%. Some forms of DCM have genetic predisposition, with common associated mutations observed in the ‘cardiomyopathy genes’, namely MYH7 (β myosin heavy chain), MYBPC3 (myosin binding protein C), and TTN (titin).

Our client was interested to explore the incidence and prevalence of genetic DCM worldwide, with special interest in the epidemiology of genetic DCM in the USA, and epidemiology of mutations in the cardiomyopathy genes. For this project, we screened through nearly 1250 records to identify the articles containing the most relevant information of interest. We also extracted data from around 50 records using the data extraction template shared by the client.
Therapy area: Cardiology

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis that is found in about 20% of patients having psoriasis. Out of the 5 clinical subtypes of PsA, the asymmetric oligoarticular pattern is the most frequent, the others being polyarticular arthritis, distal arthritis, arthritis mutilans, and spondyloarthritis patterns. PsA is associated with considerable financial and psychological burden. With a significant progress in understanding of the disease pathogenesis, various new therapies have emerged or are in the pipeline for PsA.

Our client wanted to have an in-depth understanding of the epidemiology, medical and clinical burden, risk factors, financial burden, healthcare resource utilization, humanistic burden, and unmet needs in PsA. For this project that was split up into three sub-projects, we screened nearly 7,000 articles from a list shared by the client to identify the most suitable records with relevant information for further data mining.
Therapy area: Rheumatology

Janus activated kinases (JAKs) are cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases that are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. As a result, JAK inhibitors are important therapeutic targets for management of autoimmune diseases. In the context of recently observed concerns about the safety of one of the JAK inhibitors, our client wanted to have a comprehensive understanding of the safety of these agents from previously reported studies, specially related to laboratory values. For this project, we performed data curation and abstraction from almost 1000 articles and selected the studies that contained the most relevant safety information.
Therapy area: Immune system

In oncology, Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves are extensively used for survival estimates of different treatment modalities. KM curves give a graphical understanding of different types of survival, including overall survival, progression-free survival, disease-free survival, etc. The information obtained from KM curves are used for secondary analyses, including meta-analyses and development of pharmacoeconomic models. Our client was interested in converting the information in KM curves obtained from different studies about breast cancer into digital format. For this project, we digitized almost 250 KM curves and generated coordinates of the curves in CSV format.
Therapy area: Oncology

Infection by human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause genital warts, which can progress to cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Different vaccines – bivalent, quadrivalent, and nonavalent – have a protective role against HPV-induced genital cancer. Our client wanted to evaluate vaccine effectiveness of all the 3 types of vaccine in preventing HPV infection. For this project, we curated around 2500 papers over 2 rounds of screening, based on the eligibility criteria drafted by the client and identified most relevant records containing the information of interest.
Therapy area: Oncology, Vaccines

Our client was interested in constructing a dynamic population model of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and impact of vaccination. For this project, we identified model inputs by curating over 5000 potentially relevant papers through 2 rounds of screening and identified relevant articles containing information about rates of disease progression and regression, death, detection, cure, and recurrence of HPV in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. We also extracted data for informing the model inputs from around 150 RCTs and RWE studies, based on extraction template provided by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology

Infection by human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause genital warts, which can progress to cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Our client was interested to understand the natural history of HPV infection affecting different locations in the body. For this project, we extracted data from 26 articles based on the data extraction grid shared by the client.
Therapy area: Oncology

Atopic dermatitis (AD), or atopic eczema, is characterized by chronic, relapsing pruritic skin lesions that generally develop in early childhood, usually between 3 and 6 months of age. AD is the most common inflammatory skin condition of childhood, and around 60% of patients develop eczematous lesions in the first year of life. Treatment options include topical agents such as corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and crisaborole; systemic immunosuppressants are given off-label, and emerging therapies include topical lipoxin, omalizumab, dupilumab, nemolizumab, and barcitinib. Our client was interested to understand the safety and efficacy of various treatment options for infant AD. For this project we screened over 850 articles and selected the most appropriate articles containing the information of interest.
Therapy area: Dermatology, Pediatric Medicine

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder involving dysregulated sleep-wake cycles, specially involving REM (rapid eye movement) phase, that results in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Currently there is no medication that can bring about a satisfactory improvement in narcolepsy, and as a result the medication adherence of the available treatment options is often low. Our client was interested to understand the efficacy, safety, and improvements in patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life, work productivity, attention, and global impression of change, that have been reported in literature with the available treatment modalities. For this project, we abstracted around 700 research articles over 2 rounds of screening and selected the most relevant papers that contain the required information. Therapy area: Neurology

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare disorder of the neuromuscular system, in which there is progressive loss of motor neurons and associated muscle wasting. SMA is due to abnormal SMN (survival motor neuron) protein, which in turn is due to a mutation in the SMN1 gene. There are 5 subtypes of SMA. There are huge variations in the natural history and treatment outcomes of SMA. Our client was interested to know the natural history of SMA, as well as the efficacy, safety, quality of life, economic burden, and health state utilities of various treatment options of SMA. For this project, we curated over 2000 articles over two levels of screening to identify the most relevant studies containing the information of interest to the client. Therapy Area: Neurology

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer accounting for approximately 85% of all lung cancers, and is often associated with a poor treatment outcome and high mortality. Treatment options for NSCLC include surgery, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. The presence of certain mutations in NSCLC enables treatment with drugs targeting the mutations. We assisted our client in generating evidence surrounding efficacy and safety of available treatment options that target advanced NSCLC variants which carry mutations in the BRAF gene, including conventional non-targeted therapy as well as targeted therapy, from the Canadian perspective, by performing data abstraction and curation through screening of around 1100 papers through 2 levels of screening, and identified 11 eligible papers from which we extracted relevant data. Therapy area: Oncology

Various immunotherapy options are now available for the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our client was interested in exploring the clinical effectiveness of a specific monoclonal antibody for the immunotherapy (both mono and in combination) of advanced NSCLC. For this project, we assisted our client in evidence synthesis by screening around 1950 papers over 2 levels of screening, and subsequently extracted data from 194 studies. We also assisted in updating this SLR in the next year with by performing data abstraction from over 2000 new papers and extracting data from 92 studies. Therapy area: Oncology

Different treatment options are available for the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. Frequently, many modalities are delivered in combination. Our client was interested to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a monoclonal antibody in combination with radiotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. In this project, we extracted data from around 100 studies based on the data extraction grid shared by the client. Therapy area: Oncology

Two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Both these types differ in terms of epidemiology, natural history, treatment, and prognosis. For a project, we helped our client in collating evidence on the epidemiology, humanistic and economic burden, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes among patients with advanced stages of both NSCLC and SCLC without any specific mutations of interest, who had received at least one session of check-point inhibitor (CPI) therapy or platinum-based therapy as a part of another project. We identified relevant studies by performing data abstraction from over 3800 records over 2 levels of screening. Therapy area: Oncology

For protection against disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), available vaccine options include polysaccharide vaccines (where pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides are used) and the more popular pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs, where pneumococcal antigens are conjugated onto another protein component to enhance antibody response). Two of the most popular PCVs are PCV7 and PCV13, which use antigens from 7 and 13 serotypes of pneumococcus respectively. Our client was interested to understand the clinical efficacy, real-world effectiveness, and impact of both these PCVs among children with otitis media, and among with children at a high risk of developing pneumococcal disease. For both these projects, we cumulatively examined over 2400 articles over 2 rounds of screening each, to identify a total of 75 full texts which contained the most relevant information that the client was interested in. We also performed data extraction from these 75 papers using the data extraction grid provided by the client. Therapy area: Infectious diseases, Vaccines

Alopecia areata (AA) is a form of non-scarring hair loss that presents with patchy areas of alopecia. It usually affects the scalp, and is associated with significant loss of quality of life (QoL). Various treatment options are available for AA, including topical, intralesional, and systemic therapies. Our client was interested to generate current evidence surrounding the prevalence, treatment options, QoL, economic aspects, guidelines, and unmet needs of AA. For this project, we prepared the PubMed search strategy, performed data abstraction and selected the most appropriate studies from around 500 papers in two rounds of screening, and also performed data extraction from around 90 most relevant papers using the data extraction grid that we prepared based on client needs. As a follow-up to the same project, we identified articles containing information about etiology, risk factors, molecular pathogenesis pathway, and clinical signs of AA by screening through around 600 papers through two rounds of screening. Therapy area: Dermatology

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is a glycoprotein produced by the liver hepatocytes (and in smaller quantities by other cells in the body), and is essential for the normal functioning of liver and lungs. Genetic absence of the protein, which is termed AAT deficiency, leads to uninhibited activity of the enzyme trypsin, causing extensive tissue breakdown; this can lead to complications in the lung (such as COPD) and liver (such as cirrhosis). Our client was interested to understand the natural history of AAT deficiency and its associated hepatic and pulmonary complications, especially surrounding prevalence, incidence, progression, diagnostic features, comorbidities, disease outcomes, and risk factors. For this project, we screened close to 3400 articles over two rounds of screening, and after identifying the 70 most relevant papers containing information that the client was looking for, we also extracted data following the data extraction grid shared by the client. Therapy area: Metabolic

Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) is a life-threatening medical condition with high mortality rates. The “Acute-on-Chronic” designation refers to patients’ clinical presentation of hepatic degeneration on top of pre-existing chronic liver disease. However, it has been felt that there is a lack of consensus surrounding the term ACLF, because there are multiple definitions for the term provided by multiple associations and organizations. Our client was interested to understand the similarities and differences across these ACLF definitions, and for this project we assisted our client by performing a comprehensive assessment of the definitions and extracting data pertaining to these definitions from 41 full texts based on the data extraction grid shared by the client. Therapy area: Gastroenterology

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disorder involving large intestine in which there is formation of inflammatory ulcers in colon and rectum, that is common in North America and Europe. Many treatment options are available, but definitive treatment of non-responding cases of UC generally require surgical management. Our client was interested to develop evidence surrounding epidemiology, clinical, humanistic, and economic burden, and management options of UC. For this project, we performed data abstraction of nearly 3000 articles over two rounds of screening and identified the articles with the most relevant information pertaining to the objectives of the targeted literature review, using criteria given by the client. We also extracted data from 83 studies based on the data extraction grid shared by the client. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal

Refractory follicular lymphoma (RFL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) are two subsets of non-Hodgkin lymphomas affecting B cells. Both these types of lymphomas are rare conditions, and are often viewed as orphan diseases. For the same reason, despite contributing to a significant burden on the healthcare systems around the world, the evidence surrounding the epidemiology, clinical features, and management outcomes of these two conditions are far from complete. Our client was interested to understand the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden, treatment patterns, and epidemiology of RFL and MZL. For this project, we performed data extraction from 30 full texts and 16 study abstracts shared with us by the client, and populated the data extraction grid that was shared with us. Therapy area: Oncology

As a part of post-menopausal physiology, most women suffer from a menopause-related vasomotor symptoms (MR-VMS), including hot flashes and night sweats. While mild episodes of MR-VMS subside without treatment, moderate to severe episodes often require treatment. Most frequently prescribed therapy for MR-VMS is hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), while non-hormonal therapies are also available. Our client was interested to understand the efficacy of various available treatment modalities (HRT and non-HRT) for MR-VMS from published randomized controlled trials. For this project, we performed data abstraction of over 2700 articles over two rounds of screening and selected the most relevant papers containing the information of interest to the client. We also performed data extraction from 71 articles pertaining to clinical efficacy and patient-reported outcomes of various therapies. Therapy area: Endocrinology

Fibrosis of the liver occurs following healing of any injury to the liver, and there is replacement of healthy hepatic tissue with fibrous tissue or scar. Advanced stage of hepatic fibrosis is called cirrhosis, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The important causes of hepatic fibrosis include viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), biliary obstruction, autoimmune hepatitis, etc. Our client was interested to study the association between the stage of liver fibrosis and clinical, quality of life, and economic outcomes in Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and NASH through a targeted literature review. For this project, we extracted data from 38 studies identified by the client and shared the information in the prescribed format, which was used by the client to prepare a study report. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal, Hepatology

There are different options for the diagnosis and assessment of hepatic fibrosis: some are invasive, some are non-inavsive. Each has its own set of merits and demerits. Our client was interested in comparing the outcomes of using traditional histological assessment of liver fibrosis with non-invasive assessment options such as biomarkers and sonography. For this project, we extracted data from 24 articles based on the data extraction grid shared by the client. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal, Hepatology

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) is estrogen receptor (ER) negative, progesterone receptor (PR) negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative. Our client wanted to explore the efficacy and safety of available treatment options for managing TNBC. For this project, we abstracted around 3000 records through 2 levels of screening based on eligibility criteria shared by the client, and identified the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis. Therapy area: Oncology

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a subset of breast cancer characterized by the most advanced breast tumours in the absence of distant metastasis. Multimodality treatment involving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in combination with hormonal and targeted therapy as required, can significantly improve outcomes in patients with LABC. Our client was interested in evaluating the efficacy and safety of 2nd line or later treatments of LABC. For this project, we abstracted around 1000 records through 2 levels of screening to identify the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis, and also extracted data from 14 studies. Therapy area: Oncology

Breast cancer among premenopausal women often presents at more advanced stages, and has less favourable prognosis than among postmenopausal women. Despite this, premenopausal breast cancer is an under-represented population in clinical trials. Our client was interested to understand the efficacy and safety of available treatment options for the management of advanced HR+, HER2- breast cancer among pre-menopausal women. For this project, we abstracted around 560 records through 2 levels of screening to identify the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis, and also extracted data from 5 studies. Therapy area: Oncology

Breast cancer is among the most frequent cancers among women, and is associated with a considerable amount of clinical, humanistic, and economic burden. There are multiple forms and variants of breast cancer. Our client was interested to understand the patient-reported outcomes in addition to clinical efficacy and safety of all available treatment options for managing HER2+ or HER2+/HR+ breast cancer, especially in advanced, inoperable, or metastatic stages. For this project, we abstracted around 6000 records through 2 levels of screening to identify the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis, based on the eligibility criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Oncology

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 10-20% of all breast cancers. It is more commonly diagnosed in younger women and often has a less favourable prognosis compared with other breast cancer subtypes. Our client was interested to compile evidence on the humanistic burden of metastatic TNBC. For this project, we abstracted around 1000 records through 2 levels of screening to identify the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis, and also extracted data from 6 studies. Therapy area: Oncology

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in around 20–30% of breast cancer tumors: such cancers are often more aggressive, have higher recurrence rates, and are associated with an increased mortality. However, the availability of the HER2 receptor blocker trastuzumab to standard of care chemotherapy in clinical trials has improved outcomes for early stage as well as metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer. Our client was interested to understand the epidemiology, humanistic, economic, and clinical burden of HER2+ breast cancer. For this project, we searched and screened around 670 papers and conference abstracts to identify the most relevant records for evidence synthesis, based on eligibility criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Oncology

Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus, is a gram-positive bacterium that is the major cause of community-acquired pneumonia, and also causes other serious infections such as meningitis, sepsis, and a host of invasive pneumococcal infections including otitis, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis and cellulitis, to name a few. Routine childhood vaccination through polyvalent pneumococcal vaccines (PCV-7 and PCV-13) to prevent pneumococcal infections are recommended by the WHO, but are not incorporated in all countries yet. Our client was interested in understanding the clinical efficacy of PCV-7 and PCV-13 among children with otitis media (OM), both in clinical trial and in real-world settings, and to explore how vaccine use impacted the incidence of OM among previously healthy children. For this project, we performed data abstraction and curation of more than 650 articles through two levels of screening and identified the most relevant papers for data extraction. For a different review, we helped our client to compile evidence on the immunogenicity and clinical efficacy of PCV-7 and PCV-13 among children at high-risk of developing pneumococcal infections, in both clinical trial and real-world settings, and the impact of vaccine use on the incidence of all-cause invasive pneumococcal disease in this population, by abstracting nearly 1750 articles through 2 levels of screening, identifying the most relevant papers for data extraction. Therapy area: Infectious diseases, Vaccines

Hemophilias are a group of inherited disorders of blood clotting wherein the coagulation cascade following injury becomes abnormal due to low amounts of clotting factors such as factor VIII (hemophilia A), factor IX (hemophilia B), and so on. While current management largely involves replacing the missing clotting factors, non-factor therapies (such as monoclonal antibodies and RNA interfaces) and gene therapy are being studied as possible therapeutic options for these disorders. Our client was interested to compile evidence surrounding the efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of factor replacement therapies and various non-factor therapies (excluding plasma derivatives and supportive therapies) for both hemophilia A and hemophilia B, in terms of bleeding rates and other surrogate markers. For this project, we screened over 2550 articles concerning both the disorders over 2 rounds of screening, based on eligibility criteria shared by the client, and identified the most relevant articles for data extraction, quality assessment, and report preparation. Therapy area: Hematology

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the major healthcare crisis that the world has witnessed in the recent years. Along with healthcare crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic was also associated with huge economic burdens. Our client was interested to conduct a systematic literature review pertaining to studies reporting the economic burden of COVID-19. For this project, we performed data extraction from a total of 48 papers identified by the client, using the data extraction grid provided to us. The data we extracted was used by the client to prepare a comprehensive study report about the economic burden of COVID-19. For a different project, we also extracted data pertaining to economic burden of COVID-19 (including direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, indirect costs, and healthcare-related utilities) from 28 studies identified by the client. Therapy area: Infectious diseases; COVID-19

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder characterised by delayed stomach emptying without a blockage, and presenting features include nausea, heartburn, vomiting, early satiety, and boating sensation. The condition is associated with loss of quality of life, patient suffering, and economic burden resulting from reduced productivity and absenteeism. Our client was interested to generate evidence surrounding epidemiology, humanistic and economic burden, and efficacy of available treatment options for gastroparesis. For this project, we performed data abstraction and curation of over 1600 potential articles through two levels of screening and selected the most relevant papers for data extraction. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal

Gastroparesis is a collection of symptoms of nausea and vomiting associated with bloating and early satiety plus or minus upper abdominal pain, caused by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Different modalities are available for the diagnosis of gastroparesis, including CT, MRI, gastric emptying studies, and scintigraphy. Our client wanted to compare two diagnostic modalities used in gastroparesis evaluation, namely GEBT (gastric emptying breath test) and scintigraphy, with respect to both diagnostic parameters and patient-reported outcomes. For this project we performed data abstraction and curation of over 1200 potential articles through two levels of screening and extracted data from 53 most relevant papers. We were also involved in the subsequent updating of this systematic review by screening through over 300 articles and extracting data from 15 new articles. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a common and debilitating side effect of cancer treatment, that is associated with a loss of appetite, leading to reduced oral intake of food and water, which further worsens the patient’s health. While numerous antiemetic agents are available, CINV continues to be an unresolved adverse effect of chemotherapy for many patients. Our client was interested to evaluate the epidemiology, humanistic and economic burden, and efficacy of various available treatment options for CINV. For this project, we screened over 1000 articles through 2 levels of screening, based on the eligibility criteria as shared by the client, and identified the most relevant papers for data extraction. Therapy area: Oncology

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden decrease in renal function, and is common among hospitalized patients. Patients who develop AKI are at an increased risk of developing chronic kidney injury. ‘Prolonged AKI’ is a less studied variant of AKI, wherein the kidney injury lasts more than 3 days. Our client wanted to understand the economic burden of prolonged AKI, compared to AKI that resolves more quickly. For this project, we screened over 2750 articles through 2 levels of screening and identified 40 most relevant papers that suited the eligibility criteria as shared by the client. We also performed data extraction from these 40 papers, the contents of which was used by the client to develop a targeted literature review report. Therapy area: Renal

Treatment options for advanced, metastatic, and ‘unresectable’ cancer of the exocrine pancreas are limited, and are often associated with poor treatment outcomes in terms of survival and quality of life. Our client wanted to generate evidence pertaining to efficacy and safety of various treatment options, including conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with special emphasis on survival (overall, and progression-free), treatment outcomes (disease control rate, duration of response, overall response rate, and other parameters), and safety (adverse effects, rate of and discontinuation of medication). We performed 2 levels of article screening, and also performed data extraction and quality assessment from the eligible studies for this project using criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Oncology

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer involving myeloid blood cells in which rapidly proliferating cancerous cells interfere with various normal functions of the body, including normal blood production. As an acute cancer, the condition rapidly progresses, and is fatal within few months if left untreated. AML is associated with huge clinical, humanistic, and economic burden and loss of quality of life among patients and their caregivers. Our client was interested to compare the health economic implications of AML from the perspective of four countries – Canada, Sweden, France, and USA – with respect to health economics, resource use, and impact on health utilities. We performed data extraction from a total of 55 studies pertaining to economic evaluation and resource utilization, which was used by the client to generate a detailed study report. Therapy area: Oncology

Pemphigus is a group of autoimmune disorders affecting the skin and mucous membrane that leads to blistering lesions of the affected region. Severe forms of pemphigus can result in opportunistic infections, which can lead to significant complications including death. Current treatment of pemphigus involves immune suppression through corticosteroids and other drugs, which are associated with their own complications. Our client was interested to develop an overview of the pemphigus market, including epidemiology, clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of the disease, and the merits and demerits of the existing treatment options. For this project, we assisted our client by performing data extraction of around 120 relevant papers shared with us by the client, which was used by the client to develop a document to support market access activity of a new drug being developed for pemphigus treatment. Therapy area: Dermatology

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling autoimmune disease affecting the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in there is demyelination of nerves leading to physical, mental, and psychiatric manifestations. Depending upon the extent of involvement, there are different forms of MS, such as relapsing-remitting MS, Primary progressive MS, secondary progressive MS, and clinically isolated syndrome. Our client was interested to develop a compilation of evidence surrounding the efficacy and safety of all available treatment options for relapsing-remitting MS. For this project, we performed data abstraction and screened nearly 6000 potentially eligible papers over two rounds to identify relevant papers for data extraction. Therapy area: Neurology

Disease-modifying therapy involving drugs such as glatiramer acetate, dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, interferon-beta preparations, natalizumab, and mitoxantrone, is the mainstay of treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis. Our client was interested to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different treatment options for relapsing multiple sclerosis. For this project, we performed data abstraction and curation through two levels of screening of over 2400 potential articles and selected the most relevant papers for data extraction. Therapy area: Neurology

Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a variant of MS in which there is a gradual neurologic deterioration after an initial relapsing-remitting course. Superimposed relapses can sometimes be observed in the clinical course of this condition. Our client wanted to compile evidence surrounding the safety and efficacy of different treatment options for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. For this project, we performed data abstraction and curation of around 750 articles through 2 rounds of screening for identifying the most relevant studies for evidence synthesis. Therapy area: Neurology

Post-operative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD), also referred to as post-operative ileus, is a common condition seen immediately after surgery with complex and multifactorial pathology. The condition is associated with increased patient suffering and cost of care. Our client was interested to generate evidence surrounding epidemiology, humanistic and economic burden, and efficacy of available treatment options for POGD. We assisted our client in performing data abstraction and curation through two levels of screening of over 450 potential articles and selected the most relevant papers for data extraction. In a separate project concerning the same condition, we evaluated nearly 1000 papers for eligibility as per criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Gastrointestinal

Advanced endometrial cancer is generally associated with poor prognosis due to lack of effective treatment options which can prolong survival and achieve significant disease control. Our client was interested to compile information pertaining to the epidemiological burden of advanced endometrial cancer, treatment guidelines for the condition, the efficacy and safety profile of available treatment options for the condition, and the real-world treatment patterns for the cancer. For this project, we performed data extraction from 23 records identified by the client as containing essential information for preparing a comprehensive report. We also critically assessed the methodological quality of 53 papers identified by the client using the appropriate tool. The information that we shared with the client was used to generate a report that would support preparation of a narrative value of a two-drug combination that was being developed for launch in few global markets. Therapy area: Oncology

Chronic insomnia is associated with several physical and mental consequences, which are further responsible for loss of productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs. While several drugs belonging to different pharmacological classes are available for management of the condition, all of these are associated with safety concerns. Our client was interested to generate evidence surrounding efficacy and safety of all available treatment option for chronic insomnia, which would be used to support market access activities surrounding a novel drug under development for the condition. For this project, we assisted our client with data abstraction and curation through which we identified the most relevant papers for data extraction, using the criteria shared with us by the client. Therapy area: Neurology

Plaque psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, multi-system disease characterised by flaky, itchy, scaly skin and associated with numerous systemic complications. Effective medications for this condition include conventional drugs, and biologics, which are both more efficacious as well as more expensive. Our client was in the process of commercializing a new biologic for this condition, and wanted to generate evidence pertaining to the efficacy and safety of the existing treatment options for this condition by means of a systematic literature review and network meta-analysis. For this project, we assisted our client with data curation through two rounds of screening of all possibly relevant papers shared with us by the client, and identified the most relevant papers for data extraction and quality assessment, which was used by the client for HTA submission purposes. Therapy area: Dermatology

Varicella (chicken pox) is a vaccine-preventable infectious condition caused due to infection by varicella zoster virus. Even though varicella symptoms are mild, systemic complications are often described with relation to varicella. Our client wanted to prepare a comprehensive compilation of complications due to varicella, with a special emphasis on duration, rate of occurrence, and symptoms. For this project, we assisted the client with data curation through which 130 eligible records were identified from an initial pool of over 2000 records. We also performed data extraction, and quality assessment of the included records, and also prepared a comprehensive study report of the entire systematic literature review. Therapy area: infectious diseases

Selection of proper device for delivering inhalational drug for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential to ensure optimal treatment outcomes. Device selection, ease of use, familiarity, and availability are known to affect the disease progression, and even when a drug with proven efficacy is used with improper device, the disease is known to worsen. Our client wanted to update a previously prepared TLR surrounding the value of pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) in COPD and include patients with asthma as well. We updated the search strategy, screened around hits for the most relevant articles over two rounds, and extracted data from over 250 eligible papers, which helped the client to prepare a project report. Therapy area: Respiratory

Long-acting medications often tend to have poor medication adherence rates, especially if the route of administration is not oral, because of poor patient satisfaction and treatment experience. The resulting poor medication adherence can lead to poor treatment outcomes and worsening of the disease. Our client was interested to explore the role of factors such as route of administration, dosing frequency, patient convenience, and patient satisfaction on adherence to certain long-acting medications on specific indications such as hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, psoriasis, alcohol dependence, and schizophrenia. We screened around 3800 abstracts for identifying the most relevant sources of information, based on the eligibility criteria provided to us by the client. Therapy area: Metabolic, Orthopedics, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Substance abuse

Glycogen storage disease (GSD) is a group genetic conditions in which the body cannot break down and/ or store glycogen properly, because of deficiency of various enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism. There are many variants of GSD, depending on the deficient enzyme. Treatment and prognosis depend on the type of GSD; usually dietary modification forms a predominant component of management. Our client wanted to explore the incidence, prevalence, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools, quality of life, patient reported outcomes, utility values in GSD type III (Cori’s disease) patients, by means of a targeted literature review. We developed a search strategy using PubMed, Embase and Medline (via Ovid), and extracted relevant information from 27 relevant articles as per the eligibility criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Metabolic

Pompe disease is a subtype of glycogen storage disease (type II), in which there are mutations in the gene coding for acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), the enzyme that breaks down glycogen in acidic milieu of the lysosome, resulting in a severe metabolic myopathy. Our client wanted to generate evidence surrounding the humanistic burden of GSD type II (Pompe disease), along with the clinical effectiveness and pharmacoeconomic considerations of enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease, which would be used for HTA submissions for NICE. For this project, we identified the most relevant papers for data extraction through two rounds of screening of nearly 2000 papers, using the criteria shared with us by the client. Therapy area: Metabolic

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a severe form of acute kidney injury resulting from an ischemia and reperfusion injury. It is a common complication following renal transplantation from a deceased donor. DGF is associated with a significant clinical and economic burden, and is a significant determinant of long-term success after renal transplantation. Our client was interested to systematically review the available literature concerning the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of DGF following renal transplantation, specially in the last 15 years. For this study, we extracted data from 91 articles based on guidelines and data extraction grid shared with us by the client, the findings of which was used by the client to generate a detailed study report. Therapy area: Transplantation medicine, Renal

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also called chronic kidney failure, describes the gradual loss of kidney function. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant. Our client wanted to conduct a targeted literature review of burden of disease, epidemiology, treatment patterns, guidelines, and current trial designs and data on competitors on published SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs). A search strategy was developed using EMBASE Search Strategy (via OvidSP), Medline Search Strategy (via OvidSP), and subsequently identified the most relevant papers from around 3,800 articles over 2 rounds screening. Therapy area: Renal

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often associated with a reduction in quality of life. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the general attributes of CKD, with special focus on the overall quality of life of CKD patients and the cost-effectiveness of the existing treatment modalities. We assisted by abstracting relevant information from 87 studies. Therapy area: Renal

Systematic reviews (SRs) and Meta-analyses (MAs) are considered to be the most rigorous forms of evidence, because they synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) after following a robust search strategy and data curation which need to be recorded. When RCTs which have directly compared two interventions are not available, a ‘network meta-analysis (NMA)’ or ‘indirect treatment comparison (ITC)’ is performed. Our client wanted to assess the methodological quality of 26 NMAs/ ITCs in the therapy of psoriasis, using the AMSTAR-2 tool. Our team of reviewers individually assessed each paper, in duplicate, and prepared a report about the quality of each article. The inter-rater reliability was ‘near-perfect’, with Cohen’s kappa being 0.95, and mediation required to resolve only 11/416 items. Therapy area: Dermatology

Type 1 diabetes typically affects younger population, is generally due to destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas through an autoimmune or other process, and is treated using exogenous insulin. Our client wanted to explore the in-depth natural history of type 1 diabetes, including epidemiological aspects (incidence, prevalence, mortality), progression, complications (microvascular, macrovascular, and other complications), and comorbidities, from all types of primary studies from across the globe. For this mammoth project, we performed data abstraction and curation through two levels of screening of over 14,000 articles and identified the most relevant articles to be used for data extraction and quality assessment. Therapy area: Diabetology, Metabolic

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by stressful events. When the symptoms of PTSD (including anxiety, sensory flashbacks, emotional numbness, avoidance etc) last for over 1 month after trauma and are associated with socio-occupational environment, the condition is considered pathological. Our client wanted to explore the prevalence of PTSD in the USA, along with exploring the type of trauma and risk factors predisposing to PTSD. Particularly, the USA ve was needed for the client to assist decision-making support. We performed two levels of article screening from an initial pool of over 2,500 hits to narrow down the most suitable articles for data extraction based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria shared by the client. Therapy area: Psychiatry

Treatment options for advanced, metastatic, and ‘unresectable’ cancer of the exocrine pancreas are limited, and are often associated with poor treatment outcomes in terms of survival and quality of life. Our client wanted to generate evidence pertaining to efficacy and safety of various treatment options, including conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with special emphasis on survival (overall, and progression-free), treatment outcomes (disease control rate, duration of response, overall response rate, and other parameters), and safety (adverse effects, rate of and discontinuation of medication). We performed 2 levels of screening, data extraction, and quality assessment for this project using criteria shared by the client, and the data shared by us was used for preparing a study report by the client. Therapy area: Oncology

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most frequent form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among adults, and is an aggressive malignancy with different subtypes. Treatment is often through combination of chemotherapy with immunotherapy. Relapsed/ refractory version of DLBCL has poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. Our client was interested to explore evidence from published literature pertaining to safety and efficacy of various treatment options for relapsed/ refractory DLBCL. From an initial pool of over 11,000 articles allotted to us by the client, we performed title/ abstract screening and full text screening at break-neck speed, and identified all eligible articles for data extraction. The data extracted by us was used by the client to prepare a comprehensive study report. Therapy area: Oncology/ Haematology

Atopic dermatitis is dermatitis arising in the background of allergy. Immunosuppression is an approved management option for adults and young adults suffering from moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Our client wanted to generate evidence surrounding efficacy and safety of different treatment options, including a monoclonal antibody acting as immunosuppressive therapy, for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis affecting adult patients. From an initial list of articles shared with us by the client, we identified 56 articles which fit the inclusion criteria developed by the client, after 2 rounds of screening. We also performed data extraction and quality assessment of the included papers. Therapy area: Dermatology

Different monoclonal antibodies blocking the effects of various interleukins (such as IL-4, IL13, IL-5, IL-17, and so on) have been investigated in the management of atopic dermatitis. Our client wanted to assess the efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of a specific monoclonal antibody compared with conventional treatments for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis among paediatric age group. For this project, we abstracted approximately 3800 studies over 2 rounds screening and identified 23 articles containing the most relevant information. We also performed data extraction from these 23 articles. Therapy area: Dermatology

Various immunosuppressive agents administered systemically, such as cyclosporin, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine, have been employed in the management of atopic dermatitis, with varying degrees of success and adverse effects. Our client wanted to explore the effectiveness of various systemic immunosuppressive therapies for managing atopic dermatitis. For this project, we abstracted over 3100 papers through 2 rounds of screening and identified 47 relevant studies. We also performed data extraction and quality assessment of these 47 articles. The data that we extracted helped our client to prepare two systematic reviews on the topic. Therapy area: Dermatology

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most frequent form of polycystic disease of kidney, in which cysts form in kidneys and other organs in the body as well. This inherited disorder is difficult to treat, and can be potentially lethal. Our client wanted to consolidate comprehensive information pertaining to the epidemiology and natural history of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) among all age groups, with specific focus on incidence, prevalence, mortality, progression and disease severity, cyst growth, end-stage renal disease, duration of disease, changes in biomarker levels, and comorbidities, with a special correlation on the mutation type. We drafted and refined the inclusion/ exclusion criteria for the systematic literature review, prepared and updated the search strategy, with appropriate inputs from the client. Subsequently, we ran the search strategy, which resulted in over 2,000 initial hits in PubMed and EMBASE, which narrowed down to around 150 eligible articles after 2 rounds of screening for data extraction. The extracted data after undergoing satisfactory quality checks from the client, and the quality assessment data as per the tool suggested by the client, were shared with the client well-within the agreed timelines. Therapy area: Renal

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incurable, chronic neurological disorder of largely unknown etiology, characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the subsequent loss of dopamine throughout the brain. Advanced PD (APD) represents a progressed form of PD, characterized by symptoms that are refractory to best medical therapy. Treatment options for such patients with APD consist mainly of device-aided interventions such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), and continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI). Our client wanted to generate evidence on the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and quality of life of these three device-aided interventions among patients with advanced PD. For this project, we screened approximately 2500 studies over two rounds of screening, and identified 29 articles which contained the relevant information. We also extracted information in the format shared by the client from these 29 articles, which was used by the client to generate a comprehensive study report. Therapy area: Neurology

Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death across the world. Treatment of gastric cancer generally involves surgery followed by chemoradiation therapy or chemotherapy. Our client wanted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of commonly used chemotherapeutic medications for gastric cancer management. In order to assist our client to develop a systematic review on this topic we screened around 4300 studies over 2 rounds of screening, and identified 45 studies which satisfied all eligibility criteria as required by the client. We also extracted data from these 45 papers, which helped the client to generate a detailed study report. Therapy area: Oncology

Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine or rectum. Its treatment primarily depends on the location, size, and extent of cancer spread, as well as the health of the patient. Though surgery is the preferred treatment method, treatment of patients with nonresectable and resectable colorectal cancer at an advanced stage is challenging and necessitates the initiation of chemotherapy. Advances in medical oncology have resulted in the development of targeted drugs for management of such cases, using signaling inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the efficacy and safety of monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer management. For this project, we screened over 2000 relevant papers through 2 rounds of screening and identified 15 papers which satisfied all the eligibility criteria as laid down by the client. We also extracted data from these 15 papers, which was used by the client to generate a detailed study report. Therapy area: Oncology

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are a group of drugs often used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as they suppress overactive immune and/or inflammatory systems of the body. The choice of DMARD is dependent on a number of factors, such as the stage and severity of the joint disease, possible side effects, desired outcomes and patient preference. Our client was interested to prepare a detailed literature review to update the available body of evidence on the use of DMARDs in RA. For this project, we extracted relevant data from 45 papers as per data extraction grid shared with us by the client. Therapy area: Rheumatology

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs and affects a significant proportion of individuals across the world. Our client wanted to examine the current prevalence and available treatment for this condition. We screened over 5500 studies over 2 rounds of screening, and identified 75 studies which satisfied all eligibility criteria as laid down by the client. We also extracted data from these 75 papers following the data extraction grid shared with us by the client. Our work was used by the client to draft a comprehensive systematic literature review on this topic. Therapy area: Respiratory

Short-acting beta agonists and inhaled corticosteroids represent two main treatment modalities for the management of bronchial asthma. Our client was interested in compiling information about the safety and tolerability profile of SABA use in bronchial asthma alone and in combination with ICS for management of asthma amongst adults and adolescents. For this project, we screened through over 2,000 articles and identified the most relevant articles for evidence synthesis. Therapy area: Respiratory

Overactive bladder is a condition characterized by a sudden urge to urinate (urge incontinence) and may even lead to the involuntary loss of urine (urinary incontinence). This condition is associated with significant loss of quality of life and adversely affects the social life of patients. Treatment of this condition requires identification and treatment of the cause. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on patient-reported outcomes in overactive bladder. The primary focus was to understand the general perception of this condition and to determine the clinical efficacy of available treatment regimes. We assisted the client with relevant data extraction from 5 studies. Therapy area: Renal

DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase 4) inhibitors are a class of oral antidiabetic agents commonly used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Inhibition of DPP4 prevents incretin breakdown, leading to improved glycemic control. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the safety and clinical efficacy of DPP4 inhibitors in the management of T2DM. For this project, we screened nearly 4000 papers over 2 rounds of screening, and identified 86 eligible papers which satisfied all eligibility criteria set by the client. We abstracted these 86 papers and extracted all relevant data as per study requirement, and the information was provided to the client in a comprehensive format as a shell report. Therapy area: Metabolic, Diabetology

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an acquired degeneration of the retina that causes significant central visual impairment through a combination of non-neovascular and neovascular derangement. Apart from risk factor modification and nutritional supplementation, intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents or laser therapy are also used for the treatment of AMD. Our client wanted to determine the prevalence and safety-efficacy profile of the available treatment regimens for AMD. For this projected, we screened nearly 3100 papers through 2 rounds of screening, and identified 47 studies which matched the eligibility criteria as set forth by the client. We also performed data extraction from these 47 studies. The data was used by the client to develop a systematic literature review. Therapy area: Ophthalmology

End-stage kidney or renal disease (ESRD) is the last stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) leading to permanent kidney damage. Specific treatment for renal failure is determined based on the extent of the disease, overall health, and medical history of the patient. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are used for the treatment of ESRD as it maintains hemoglobin at the lowest level and minimizes transfusions. Our client wanted to conduct a network meta-analysis to evaluate the global estimate of comparative treatment effectiveness of ESAs in the management of ESRD. For this project, we screened over 6600 papers over multiple screening rounds, and identified 94 papers which matched the eligibility criteria as set forth by the client. We also performed data extraction from these 94 papers, and the information was provided to the client in a comprehensive format as a shell report. Therapy area: Renal

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is major complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant used as a treatment for leukemia or lymphoma. GVDH can be life threatening. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the general attributes of GVDH, focusing primarily on the prevalence and the quality of life of the patients. We extracted relevant information from 110 studies to meet the objective.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by obstructed airflow from the lungs. There are several recommendations for the management of COPD. Early diagnosis, lifestyle changes and treatment with appropriate medication can slow the progress of this condition. In order to support the global reimbursement of add-on treatment in COPD, a clinical research organization wanted to obtain the relevant economic evidence on COPD. We provided assistance by extracting data on the prior economic models, cost of illness and healthcare resource utilization from approximately 66 studies. The data abstracted was used by the client to generate a systematic literature review on the said topic.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus belonging to the order Herpesvirales and is globally widespread. The unique feature of this virus is that it can remain latent for long period and cause reinfection when the host is immuno-compromised. CMV is a concern for solid organ transplant (SOT) and stem cell transplant (SCT) recipients and can be life threatening. A clinical research organization wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the clinical effectiveness of anti‐CMV agents in the treatment of CMV infected individuals who have undergone solid organ transplantation (SOT) or stem cell transplantation (SCT). We provided assistance by abstracting relevant information from 85 studies.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition characterized by gradual loss of kidney function over time. CKD is prevalent among the elderly population and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic renal failure. It is a global health burden with a high economic cost to health systems. Our client wanted to develop a systematic literature review on the general attributes of CKD, with special focus on the overall quality of life of CKD patients and the cost-effectiveness of the existing treatment modalities. We assisted by abstracting relevant information from 87 studies.

Metastatic breast cancer is unlikely to be cured, but there have been meaningful improvements in survival due to the availability of more effective systemic therapies, including endocrine therapy in the treatment of hormone-sensitive disease. Breast cancer can be further broken down into three subgroups and can be directed according to there treatment choices: 1) the estrogen receptor (ER) expression, 2) the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 [with or without ER expression]), and 3) triple-negative. Patients with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer often respond to endocrine therapy alone or in combination with targeted agents, which can reduce tumour burden and symptoms with generally fewer side effects and toxicities than chemotherapy. Our client wanted to determine the safety and efficacy of existing chemotherapy for breast cancer. In order to assist our client to develop a systematic review on this topic, we screened 1000 studies for the 1st pass and 200 studies for the 2nd pass.

Rotator cuff tears (RCT) are one of the most frequent shoulder diseases and their incidence increases with advancing age. The tendons of your rotator cuff can tear much like a piece of leather. Sometimes, the tendon is only slightly damaged or irritated. Sometimes, the tendon has a complete tear, which means that the tendon has torn away from the bone. Tears of the rotator cuff tendons may cause shoulder pain and can limit shoulder function. Our client wanted to determine the effectiveness of available treatment on Rotator cuff repair. We extracted relevant information from 40 studies to meet the objective.