Model-Based Meta-Analysis: An Important Tool for Making Quantitative Decisions During Drug Development

Modeling during drug development is routinely used to integrate subject-level information, evaluate response, and inform clinical trials. Model-based meta-analysis (MBMA) combines aggregate safety and efficacy results from many trials. Because MBMA is based on results from large numbers of subjects, it increases the power to precisely detect small but clinically significant effects, providing a basis for quantitative drug development decisions and reducing time and cost. This Commentary describes an overview of MBMA and its application during drug development.