Tolerability and Efficacy of Eltrombopag in Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Background: Eltrombopag is an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist that stimulates the production of normally functioning platelets. The aim of this meta-analysis is to synthesize evidence about the safety and efficacy of eltrombopag for both adult and children with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Methods: A computer literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central was conducted. Records were screened for eligible studies, and data were extracted and synthesized using Review Manager for Windows. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to investigate whether treatment effect varies significantly between adults and children. Results: Six randomized controlled trials (N = 611 patients) were included in the final analysis. The overall effect estimates favored eltrombopag group in terms of overall platelet response (relative risk [RR]: 3.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.51-4.65; P