OBJECTIVES: Publication of network meta-analyses (NMA) has significantly increased partly due the launch of new therapies. Our goal was to evaluate the time between drug’s approval and their introduction into a NMA during the past 11 years.

METHODS: NMAs of pharmacological interventions published between 01/01/2006 and 12/31/2016 available in OSF dataset were included (10.17605/OSF.IO/5NY9P). The names of all drugs were extracted. ATC codes and drug’s approval dates for use in humans were searched in the US Food and Drug Administration and Canadian DrugBank. The calculation of the time for drug’s introduction in NMAs considered the date of the last systematic search reported by the authors of the first published NMA, and the first date of approval by at least one regulatory agency.

RESULTS: From the 477 NMA, 1083 interventions were extracted, of which 635 refer to active drugs. These drugs were firstly mentioned by 228 (47.8%) different NMAs, being mainly approved for nervous system disorders (n=125; ATC N) and as antineoplastic/immunomodulating agents (n=116; ATC L). Overall, 372 drugs (58.6%) were included by more than one NMA, being 25 evaluated by 15 or more NMAs. Canada registered 457 drugs (72.0%), being 132 after 2006. USA approved 490 drugs (77.2%), being 175 after 2006. The time to introduction into NMAs could be calculated for 497 drugs. Most of them (n=452) were included into a NMA with a median of 158 months (IQR 62-243) after being approved. Considering only drugs approved after 2006 (n=149), the median time was 14 months. Another 45 drugs (7.0%) were included 15 months (IQR 8-22) prior their approval, with the majority of studies (91.1%) funded by pharmaceutical industries.

CONCLUSIONS: One third of drugs were included into a NMA in the first year after their approval. Most drugs were included by more than one NMA on the same topic.