Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Adjuvant Efficacy and Safety of Angong Niuhuang Pill in Viral Encephalitis Treatment
Published on: April 19, 2024
Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials in the era of individual patient data sharing
Takuya Kawahara1, Musashi Fukuda1,2, Koji Oba3
1Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Annex of Bldg. 3, 5th Floor, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
Background:
Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis is considered to be a gold standard when the results of several randomized trials are combined. Recent initiatives on sharing IPD from clinical trials offer unprecedented opportunities for using such data in IPD meta-analyses.
Methods:
First, we discuss the evidence generated and the benefits obtained by a long-established prospective IPD meta-analysis in early breast cancer. Next, we discuss a data-sharing system that has been adopted by several pharmaceutical sponsors. We review a number of retrospective IPD meta-analyses that have already been proposed using this data-sharing system. Finally, we discuss the role of data sharing in IPD meta-analysis in the future.
Results:
Treatment effects can be more reliably estimated in both types of IPD meta-analyses than with summary statistics extracted from published papers. Specifically, with rich covariate information available on each patient, prognostic and predictive factors can be identified or confirmed. Also, when several endpoints are available, surrogate endpoints can be assessed statistically.
Conclusions:
Although there are difficulties in conducting, analyzing, and interpreting retrospective IPD meta-analysis utilizing the currently available data-sharing systems, data sharing will play an important role in IPD meta-analysis in the future.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Statistical Software for Data Analysis and Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Clinical Trials: Overview
Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data
Data Reporting and Recording
Trial and Error and Algorithm

