OBJECTIVES:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other decision-makers are considering changes to the health technology assessment (HTA) process based on recognition of the challenges associated with traditional systematic literature review (SLRs). LivingSLR, a new approach that enables stakeholders to capture the most current synthesized evidence in lifecycle decision-making, has been of increasing interest. This study aims to showcase LivingSLR in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) to illustrate the importance of ongoing SLR updates to inform HTA decision-making.

METHODS:

LiveSLR® is a real-time updated, web-based library of SLRs performed in compliance with PRISMA guidelines, and Population, Intervention, Comparators, Outcomes, and Study design criteria. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases (01/2010-04/2022), and 13 international conferences relevant to the oncology and hematology were searched, with data screened by two independent reviewers assisted by machine learning techniques. Living SLRs of interventional, quality of life (QoL), economic, and real-world evidence (RWE) studies in RRMM were considered to evaluate the frequency and number of new HTA-relevant publications.

RESULTS:

As of April 2022, four RRMM SLRs included 580 RRMM publications from 439 original studies, including 103 conference abstracts. On average, 135 publications were added every 6 months over the last 2 years with 44%, 17%, 20%, and 19% coming from interventional, QoL, economic, and RWE studies, respectively. In 2022 alone, 169 publications were added, using search strategies updated with 99 new interventions from a CT.gov review. Seventy-six studies were in triple-refractory MM, 45 investigated CAR-T therapies, 86 reported progression-free survival, 59 reported overall survival, and 160 were economic analyses/models.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared to conventional SLRs, machine-learning-assisted LivingSLRs support timely collection and accurate synthesis of the increasing number of publications reporting new relevant evidence, especially in rapidly advancing disease fields such as RRMM. HTA bodies should consider adjusting their current practices to incorporate novel living-HTA tools.