Indirect and mixed treatment comparisons in arthritis research

Evidence for the efficacy of biologic therapies in inflammatory arthritis comes overwhelmingly from placebo-controlled trials. Increasingly, however, authorities responsible for purchasing and re-imbursement have tried to determine whether there are differences between these powerful new therapies, which would lead them to recommend some in preference to others, either on grounds of efficacy or cost-effectiveness. In the absence of head-to-head...