Drug treatment for generalised anxiety disorder

Abstract

More head to head trials are needed to confirm apparent differences in effectiveness

Meta-Analyses and Conflict of Interest

“…The study was allegedly independent, yet all authors had financial ties to the funding firm and other pharmaceutical companies that manufactured drugs that were included and discussed in the meta-analysis. The expert who was commissioned to write the accompanying editorial [10] also had financial ties with a number of the pharmaceutical companies that manufactured drugs that were included and discussed in the meta-analysis. All these financial ties were acknowledged in the papers but they could well have affected the results presented.…”

Statistical Alchemy for Drug Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Commentary on the Meta-Analysis by Baldwin et al. [BMJ 2011;342:d1199]

“…The analogy was the hope to convert existing things into something better (changing base metals into gold) and the work with material that was heterogeneous and poorly identified. It was difficult to foresee in those days, however, the type of 'grand prix' model of meta-analysis applied by Baldwin et al [2] to the drug treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, which was commented upon in an editorial by Furukawa [3] , who had also authored a similar type of meta-analysis [4] .…”

“…Although the study was allegedly independent, all authors had financial ties with Lundbeck and other pharmaceutical companies which manufactured the drugs that were included and discussed in the meta-analysis. Toshi Furukawa [3] , who was commissioned to write the editorial, also has financial ties with a number of pharmaceutical companies.…”

“…The meta-analysis performed by Baldwin et al [2] is likely to yield misleading conclusions, particularly for the busy clinician who has no time to check its faulty procedures and the lack of appropriate clinical integration [2,3] . The publication of this paper calls for a reassessment of journals' policies concerned with reviews, editorials and meta-analyses.…”