Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparisons of Filgotinib vs Vedolizumab, Tofacitinib, and Ustekinumab for Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis

Background: Where head-to-head trials are lacking, indirect comparative effectiveness can aid treatment decisions. We conducted matching-adjusted indirect comparisons of clinical outcomes with filgotinib vs recently approved comparators (vedolizumab, tofacitinib, ustekinumab) in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Individual patient data from the SELECTION trial (NCT02914522) for filgotinib 200 mg were weighted to match average baseline characteristics of active treatment and placebo arms in comparator trials. Efficacy outcomes were compared for biologic-naive and biologic-experienced subgroups in induction and maintenance populations, if data were available. Safety and health-related quality of life outcomes were compared in the overall maintenance population.

Results: Filgotinib had a similar effect on efficacy outcomes compared with tofacitinib, ustekinumab, and subcutaneous vedolizumab in both the induction and maintenance populations. Filgotinib showed improved clinical response vs intravenous (IV) vedolizumab (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 5.5; P < .05) among the biologic-experienced induction population, and improved corticosteroid-free clinical remission (odds ratio, 15.2; 95% CI, 1.6 to 139.9; P < .05) among the biologic-naive maintenance population. Improved efficacy outcomes were reported with filgotinib compared with ustekinumab among the maintenance population. Higher estimates of serious adverse events were reported for filgotinib compared with vedolizumab IV 300 mg and tofacitinib 5 mg; however, imbalances were noted in their placebo groups. Health-related quality of life outcomes were similar between filgotinib and comparators.

Conclusions: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison results suggest superiority of filgotinib 200 mg over vedolizumab IV in terms of clinical response and corticosteroid-free clinical remission in certain patient populations, noting small sample sizes and wide CIs, which may aid the selection of advanced therapies for moderately to severely active UC. A potential increased risk of serious adverse events was reported for filgotinib 200 mg vs vedolizumab IV and tofacitinib 5 mg, but findings should be interpreted with caution owing to underlying imbalances observed between the placebo groups of SELECTION and comparator trials.