Resolving the debate: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of hydroxyurea vs. newer FDA-approved pharmacological therapies in sickle cell disease
Network meta-analysis reports improved clinical outcomes in sickle cell disease with L-glutamine and Crizanlizumab, indicating better efficacy over hydroxyurea.
Key Points
This meta-analysis aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of hydroxyurea with newer FDA-approved therapies in managing sickle cell disease.
Conducted a systematic search across five databases for relevant randomized controlled trials.
Used Covidence for study screening and conducted network meta-analysis using Netmeta package in R.
Generated forest plots and meta-analyses with Stata 18.0, assessing risk of bias using RoB 2.0 tool.
L-glutamine showed the greatest reduction in vaso-occlusive crises and improved quality of life.
Hydroxyurea demonstrated lower efficacy ranking compared to newer therapies.
Adverse effects related to hepatotoxicity were noted among treatments.