Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Important Tools in Understanding Drug Development for Stroke

Animal models of ischaemic stroke have become an integral part of the preclinical pipeline for identifying novel neuroprotective drug targets and drugs. As the process serves as a filter, researchers do not expect complete concordance between the experimental animal and human clinical trial data. However, the paucity of clear examples of translation of promising animal results into drugs that work in a clinical setting has raised concerns about the utility of this translational paradigm. Preclinical systematic reviews have been used in response to these concerns to identify weaknesses in animal studies and provide empirical evidence supporting improvements to the design and conduct of preclinical animal experiments. We propose that further strategic development and application of data analysis methods can help continue this process of improvement and help identify the most promising therapeutic targets and drugs. These next steps in systematic review aim to tighten the focus of preclinical research, streamline the drug development process, and minimise research waste.