Table 5, Number of studies included for each KQ, by drug therapy group, comparison type, and study design - Drug Therapy for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review Update

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Table 5Number of studies included for each KQ, by drug therapy group, comparison type, and study design

Drug Therapy Group	Comparison Type	Overall N of Studies	KQ 1 Intermediate Outcomes	KQ 2 Final Health Outcomes	KQ 3 Harms	KQ 4 Subpopulations
Corticosteroids	Corticosteroids vs. csDMARDs	6	6 RCTs	5 RCTs	6 RCTs	None
Corticosteroids	High-dose corticosteroid vs. TNF biologic	2^a	2 RCTs	2 RCTs	2 RCTs	None
Corticosteroids	Corticosteroid single-arm studies	1	None	None	1 obs	None
csDMARDs	csDMARD monotherapy vs. csDMARD monotherapy	2	2 studies (1 RCT, 1 obs)	2 studies (1 RCT, 1 obs)	2 studies (1 RCT, 1 obs)	None
csDMARDs	csDMARD combination therapy vs. csDMARD monotherapy	7	7 studies (6 RCTs, 1 obs)	6 RCTs	7 studies (6 RCTs, 1 obs)	None
csDMARDs	csDMARDs vs. TNF biologics	1^b	1 RCT	1 RCT	1 RCT	None
csDMARDs	csDMARDs vs. non-TNF biologics	3^c	3 RCTs	3 RCTs	3 RCTs	None
csDMARDs	csDMARDs vs. tsDMARDs	1	1 RCT	1 RCT	1 RCT	None
csDMARDs	csDMARD single-arm studies	4	None	None	4 obs	None
Biologics	Biologics vs. csDMARD monotherapies	16^a^,^b^,^c	16 RCTs	16 RCTs	15 RCTs	3 RCTs
Biologics	Biologics vs. csDMARD combination therapies	3	3 RCTs	3 RCTs	3 RCTs	1 RCT
Biologics	Biologic head-to-head comparisons	1	1 RCT	1 RCT	1 RCT	None
Biologics	Biologic single-arm studies	1	None	None	1 obs	None
Combination and therapy strategies	N/A	6	4 RCTs	4 RCTs	6 studies (4 RCTs, 2 obs)	None

a: One study evaluated comparisons relevant to two categories: high-dose corticosteroid vs. TNF biologic and biologic vs. csDMARD monotherapies.¹⁸
b: One study evaluated comparisons relevant to two categories: csDMARD vs. TNF biologics and biologics vs. csDMARD monotherapies.¹⁵
c: Three studies evaluated comparisons relevant to two categories: csDMARD vs. non-TNF biologics and biologics vs. csDMARD monotherapies.⁷^, ³²^, ³³
: csDMARD = conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; KQ = Key Question; N = number; N/A = not applicable; obs = observational study(ies); RCT = randomized controlled trial; TNF = tumor necrosis factor; tsDMARD = targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; vs. = versus.

Drug Therapy for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review Update [Internet].

Comparative Effectiveness Review, No. 211.

Donahue KE, Gartlehner G, Schulman ER, et al.

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